A Love To Protect
by Coka Cookie Cola
Summary: Sesshomaru's relationship with Rin will soon be tested when he finds himself in a similar situation three hundred years ago, when a new assassin takes revenge upon those close to Sesshomaru. Rated M for Mature Content. COMPLETE
1. Preface

**~~ You know what's the best kind of obsession/creepy Anime crush a girl can have? It's the kind when you're captivated by the mysterious yet highly attractive dog demon Sesshomaru! ^_^**

**So, this is a story created from my twisted, Sesshomaru-obsessive mind LOL! And I hope you'll enjoy it... :D  
>(NOTE: I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA OR ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS! INUYASHA BELONGS RIGHTFULLY TO RUMIKO TAKAHASHI – THE CREATOR! {lucky woman XP})<strong>

**Summary:** Three hundred years... Three hundred years had passed since the fateful day... The day when Takeshi Masato had lost everything: his family, his kingdom... and his rightful dominant power over the Western lands. And it was all because of the Dog Demon Family...

After a time of cunningly devising cruel strategies that will land him ruler of feudal Japan, Takeshi's power forces him out of hiding and unto his way to the lands of the West; intending to take his hidden vengeance upon Sesshomaru... and to those who are close to him.

**~~ I will give you guys cyber-cookies if you review! :3**

**No? Okay, fine, bribery won't get anyone anywhere LOL. But please, I'd really like your input. Constructive criticism and compliments (NO FLAMING ACCEPTED) will help me with the writing process. :) ~~**

**~ A Love To Protect ~**

**Preface**

_Blood-rimmed eyes stared icily upon the peaceful beauty of the emerald forest... taking in every sight... every smell... _

_The land did not change much... Which made it perfect for him... It was quite beautiful and peaceful... Just like his homeland before it came to be acquainted with death, despair and complete annihilation... This land would be perfect to rule... _

_He would strike fear, doubt and submission into those who would dare strike against him; that is, if they weren't afraid of him at first. _

_No. He would kill those who would stand in his way between greatness and eternal strength. No one deserved to live if they refused to obey their master. _

_It had been hundreds of years... And now that he was alive and well, there was only one that was worthy to slaughter first..._

**:3 :3 :3**

_Tell me, Sesshomaru. Do you have someone to protect?_

_Do you have someone that you cannot live without? Someone that you love and care for, no matter the cost?_

The celestial, crystal ivory moon shone lustrously throughout the land – providing the needed luminance that sentient, or inhumane beings, required.

But to some, that light was never less useful. Others, the moon was an advantage. For humans, for example and to other unique species of demons.

One would use the moon as a point to trigger their transformation into majestic beasts – one that would terrorize countless villages and force in dominance and power beyond one's understanding. However, there are demons that do not require the presence of the heavenly 'star'; their instincts can do as well just on their own.

An immensely loud, frightening snarl thundered across the valley, along the plains and even amongst nearby mountains, lakes and streams. Anyone within a five hundred mile radius would cower in fear and despair inside their huts, instinctively protecting themselves as they would hear it. But this noise was always natural to hear at night – no matter where you come from, no matter which village you live in.

After all, this was feudal age Japan: a time of war, a time of magic and a time of inner hatred towards demons; they were seen as corrupt monsters from hell who terrorize people's lives, devour their souls and leave nothing but ashes and bones for survivors to find. If any.

This world has come close many times to becoming fully dominant of demons; they were far stronger than humans, they had longer life spans, and their greediness and lust for power was certainly greater than regular greed-driven humans. There were other reasons that could send Earth into complete chaos; but it so happened that nothing had disturbed the balance...

_Do you have someone to protect?..._

Another snarl rang out in the forest, but silence soon came after.

Monstrous, lustrous, citrous eyes glowed in the dark.

_I do not have anyone to protect... I do not need anyone..._

But when vivid images of chocolate eyes, silky, smooth... raven hair, and skin glowing angelically appeared before him...

What did he see?

What did he feel?

_I do not feel anything... I do not feel anything toward that girl... Feelings are weak – and so are those who believe in them. _

And with that, the ivory haired demon continued to stalk his way out of the forest...

**:3 :3 :3**

It was hopeless... It was pathetic really. To be quite honest, it was more than ironic. After all, she put herself into these situations more than once...

Why did she allow herself her heart to be broken time and time again?

Only this time it was different.

She couldn't be with the man that she loved... A man that she truly, truly, truly loved.

It was more than cruel to have time separate the both of them. But at the same time it was a reminder; a reminder that she could never be with someone like him.

Tears of heartbroken agony and despair flowed from her eyes that were brimmed with redness.

_No.. I can't do this anymore. I shouldn't._

But her heart still ached for him; her mind yearned for his presence...

She couldn't learn to let him go. It was hard for her to live without him, but at the same time it was difficult to put up living with him.

There were a lot of things she loved about him; things that made up his personality... things that caused him to be the person that he was. At first she flatly refused to co-operate. At first she refused to give him the satisfaction of her submission to him. She didn't belong to anyone...

But time changed. Her heart now belonged to him.


	2. A Human Girl's Heart

**~~ Welcome to Chapter 1!  
>I am sincerely sorry that I haven't updated: believe it or not, I actually have a genuine excuse LOL. I STILL have a severe case of the virus that's being passed around in my hometown. Seriously – I think my throat is going to explode because of how painful it is! <strong>

**Anyways, that is the end of my bitch rant for the day. Thank you goes out to…**

**icegirljenni:**Today is your lucky day! I've finally given you the first chapter

**animeloser101:** I am so glad that you think so: keep on reading – let's see what you'll think then! xD

**Chapter 1**

"_By the time that Lord Sesshomaru will build his empire, you will not be alive, Rin."_

Words of wisdom – coming from her Master Jaken – repeated in the young girl's mind.

Rin could not help but think of that time, so far long ago… when she was just a child. Naïve, gullible and stupid. Of course, Rin told herself that she wasn't going to be hard on herself… she had remembered word for word of what Jaken told her. She was not going to be around forever. She wasn't going to spend forever with Lord Sesshomaru…

Rin blinked her auburn eyes open, feeling her heart smashing against her chest, as well as feeling butterflies in her stomach.

Rin turned over to her side, snuggling into Ah-Un – the dragon who did not awake during Rin's flips and turns during the night.

Rin didn't know what to do with herself; she was confused about what she was feeling lately. Rin didn't know what to make of them: she hadn't been subjugated to them before. What was worse was the fact that when she was around her Lord… Rin felt… like she would lose control of herself and fall to the ground. Every time she gazed into those honey-glazed eyes, Rin was melting from the inside. His silver, celestial hair she felt the urge to touch… His pale, ivory skin was like marble… She wanted to sculpt it… She wanted to touch him.

Every time Rin led herself to think these thoughts, Rin became easily embarrassed – her skin turning the deepest crimson and turning herself away from plain sight: she never wanted her Lord to see her like this. She never wanted him to know.

She sighed sullenly, feeling tired and exhausted. Ever since Rin was aging, she spent most nights thinking about Lord Sesshomaru. The man who saved her when she was a mere village girl… The man who let her join him… The man… who wasn't human.

"_By the time that Lord Sesshomaru will build his empire, you will not be alive, Rin." _

Rin bit her lip. Her Lord wasn't a human. He was a dog demon – a powerful ruler of the Western Lands. She knew from Jaken that he would stop at nothing to gain strength. He would reach the farthest corners of the Earth to find certain objects and material possessions that could increase his demon powers.

Rin knew that he was strong enough as he was: but she could not tell him that. Lord Sesshomaru never listened to anyone… He never took anyone's suggestions into consideration. He would… shut out Rin and Jaken. He never was a man who would grow close to his ward. If need be, Sesshomaru would say something every once in a while.

The heavenly, transparent and bloodless moon reflected its natural light all across the land.. The stars glowed beautifully against the midnight sky..

There was no sound to be made during this night; not even a demon would dare risk the peace that had already been put in place…

But Rin was not at peace – even though as she glimpsed into the night sky, she could not relax. Her heart beat did not slow down… It only quickened.

**:3 :3 :3**

Lutescent, crysal eyes stared at the human girl – struggling to fall asleep. He knew her predicament: he knew what the matter was.

He could not comprehend why Rin would feel this way toward him; he watched over her every night, since she turned into a young, blossoming woman.

Sesshomaru knew that Rin held an adoration for him – as though he were a god to be worshipped. He did not expect her to show her feelings… even when she thought that he dared not to look at her.

Her terra-cotta hair darkened over the years and had reached the middle part of her back in waves and tussles. Her skin differed also – turning a lighter tone of peach, but looked as smooth and delicate as before. Her eyes held the most emotion: the emotions that she felt for him. Even Sesshomaru could not explain what her true motives were.

She had stayed with him, all of these years. Sesshomaru did not force her to make a decision: he merely asked her. No. He only told her to do as she wished – as though he did not have a choice in her future. Sesshomaru never showed any surprise to Rin's decision. He never showed any type of reaction that was endeavored on her choice to stay with him. Of course, there were times when he told himself that Rin belonged in a human village. But even then, he had another side to him that told him differently – as well as Rin saying to him on infrequent occasions that she never felt like she belonged in one. Ever since her family had been slain.

"Lord Sesshomaru… forever with… Lord Sesshomaru."

His keen senses of hearing picked up the murmuring of said girl, who was fast asleep. Sesshomaru made his way from the opposite side of the meadow to the woman who vexed him in many ways…

He sat down a couple meters distance from her, legs and arms crossed.

In truth, he didn't know why he did this: staying near her, as though there were danger. Rin was never in any sort of trouble, yet he took it upon himself by instinct to be by her side. Sesshomaru scoffed. He had been close to losing her… If it were not for his mother and her Meidou Stone, Rin would have been…

Sesshomaru snarled, evaporating any sort of sentimental, weak thoughts from his mind.

He was not going to choose the same path as his father. There was no need for it.

**:3 :3 :3**

**~~ Sesshomaru, we all know you're lying! ^_^**

**And so we have it: both parties are conflicted with their emotions. Although to be honest, I don't know who's having more trouble controlling them.**

**Anyways, I plan to have these chapters no longer than 2,000 words. I mean – wouldn't you guys prefer faster updates? **

**So, how'd you guys like this one? Leave a review below :D ~~**


	3. A Dog Demon's Intervention

**~ Here is the newest update from yours truly! Seriously, I hope you'll like… ^_^**

**Thank you goes out to…**

**icegirljenni:** I wonder if Rin will ever know she's in love… ha ha. As for Sesshomaru, well, he's stubborn like an ass – and not even I could decode his behavior. And yes, it will take them NO WHERE if neither of them start to make a move first LOL.

**MISI-Uchiha:** Yeah I know: this couple is really cute. I love how in the manga they keep dropping hints whether what their true relationship is! I ask myself nowadays why I didn't bother to notice these two before, LOL. And please do keep on reading

**Chapter 2**

To say that the relationship between Sesshomaru and Rin had become awkward was an overstatement, yet classifying what their true interrelation was difficult to say - much less processed by certain wards.

The next morning came and went, the sun flashing its brilliant golden warmth over the land, as crimson and lavender danced together in the baby blue sky. Even though this was a transition that happened normally, Jaken had to say that what had occurred a few hours later was not.

Jaken paid attention to detail, even if it was obvious to any demon eye. For instance, he noticed that Rin behaved less chattery than usual: even as a young woman, Rin had kept her childish nature of constant cheer. Instead, Rin was quiet but held that innocence in her deep brown eyes.

At the time, Jaken even wondered if Sesshomaru had noticed Rin's sudden change, if one would call it that. But he was silent as usual, and didn't seem to notice anyone accompanying him or much less his surroundings.

Jaken shook his head, leading Ah-Un with Rin sitting atop of the dragon sideways as though she were a lady.

Jaken scoffed to himself. Rin was no lady: she was never properly raised as one, and never acted as such when around Lord Sesshomaru.

But if he voiced his opinion aloud, he would either get a harsh stare from his master or an incidental rock throw to his head. Jaken knew that he did not want to upset his Lord like the last time…

_**Flashback…**_

"_Come on, Master Jaken: there's a river up ahead! We can try and get some fish!" Rin shouted excitedly, running past her short caretaker in an attempt to beat him to the river. _

"_Rin! Slow down – don't act so hasty!" Jaken replied, but the flash of the girl's bright kimono disappeared. He sighed, knowing that the only way to catch up with her was to run – even though he knew of the outcome of her wish to run a race with him. _

_Meanwhile, the fifteen year old girl entered a clearing: and fortunately, fresh, clean, sparkling water was just up ahead. Rin smiled to herself, breathing in air to flow to her lungs. _

_The sun was out, casting its light onto the girl who absorbed it like it was a necessity. Nothing could ever change that: Rin was always happy… She was always pleased that she had a life that didn't seem worthless… At least, until the time when Jaken told her that Rin was… What was she? Something expendable?_

_Rin shook her head. It didn't matter. She was with her Lord, and would always be with him forever. _

"_Master Jaken? What will happen when I die?" Somehow the matter didn't leave Rin's heart and mind: what Jaken told her when she was a kid still left an imprint – a mark to say that she couldn't shake off this predicament. _

_She sat down on the grass, waiting patiently for an answer by the imp demon – who was shaking off leaves from his shoulders. _

"_You silly girl! I already told you what would happen."_

"_No, I mean.. will Lord Sesshomaru ever forget me?" Rin turned to face Jaken, with her eyes filled with curiosity and the need to possess the knowledge that was out of her reach._

"_You are a fool. Lord Sesshomaru has enough on his mind rather than thinking about you. He doesn't need to worry himself with trivial things."_

_Rin sighed. Lately, her feelings for her lord had blossomed into something more: she felt the need to make him happy, even though she had NEVER had seen him smile. She didn't know why her heart would feel like would shatter into pieces – knowing that if what Master Jaken said was true… But it came clear to her that it still made her upset: the thought of her not mattering to Lord Sesshomaru, was the same response she had when she was a kid. _

"_On the other hand, you have much to worry about. You are growing into a young lady, and it is such a wonder why he hasn't handed you over to a human village."_

"_I never want to be a lady! I just want to be with Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin suddenly stood up, clearly becoming angered by Jaken's choice of words. They never effected her so much before – although when he first told her that she would be dead sooner or later had its own impact – but this time was certainly different. _

_Rin stood silent, before running off leaving Jaken in a shocked state. Never once did he hear that outburst from Rin: it was so unlike her… But his opinion still stood – she was growing up, even though Rin didn't want to accept that. _

"_Jaken."_

"_M-m-my Lord!" Jaken said stuttering his words, as he turned around to face one.. angry… ruler of the West. _

"_We are leaving," was all that Sesshomaru said, his eyes twinkling with annoyance toward Jaken. _

_In other words, from what Sesshomaru told Jaken, he had better go fetch Rin before he was about to be sign his own death warrant. _

_From what Jaken could have assumed was that Sesshomaru had found Naraku and did not want to waste any time. But he was far from being correct as Jaken soon learned…_

_**:3 :3 :3**_

_Later that night, Rin's sudden brutality toward Jaken disappeared: which left Jaken struck with confusion. However, her sudden urge to bathe, and a quick look of defiance from Rin's almond eyes caused Jaken to change his mind. _

_Rin sighed, enjoying the heat that was closing in on her pores as she slid down deeper into the water. _

_The hot spring was exactly what Rin needed: her stomach was aching terribly and there was no diagnose for it. During her short stay with Kaede, which ended the day she turned thirteen, she didn't understand the talks from the old priestess herself: though when she gathered herbs and boiled it with water, at one point during her travels with her Lord, she somewhat understood what Kaede told her. It seemed as though when Rin reached a certain age, her stomach would start to hurt horribly. But nothing else was drawn from that conclusion. _

_As sweat permeated from her slightly sun-kissed skin, Rin decided to stand – to feel the cool breeze of the wind, regardless of the fact that she was not wearing any clothes. _

_For a few moments, she stood there – letting the wind cool her off. _

_However, it wasn't until she saw blood dripping between her legs that Rin froze solid still. _

_She shook her head, freeing herself from the reverie that she caughter herself in. _

_Before Rin could call out to her savior, which she wanted to say his name desperately, a quick rustle of the bushes caused Rin to slip quickly into the water: feeling extreme embarrassment. _

"_Rin, what did you do now you clumsy girl?"_

_Rin felt her face flush a deeper shade of red. He couldn't be possibly be talking about…_

"_Jaken."_

_Rin felt her heart beat expiditious as she heard her Lord speak. What really caused her skin to grow goose bumps was the cold edge to his voice, that he had always possessed. What made her think differently of this now?_

"_Let her be."_

"_But my Lord.. she's bleeding!"_

_Rin couldn't help but shriek for a maximum of three seconds in mortification; she did not want to trouble her lord with this matter. _

_All was silent, up until the point when Lord Sesshomaru had told – no: ORDERED Jaken to start boiling some water, whilst also assigning him the task of picking up some medicinal herbs. _

_Rin couldn't help but feel slightly touched that her lord would go through the trouble. It was as though he knew about her condition for a while now, but Rin was not that dense enough to start calling him stupid. Which led her to think about what made him want to seem attentive to her. Not that she had much of a problem with it…_

_And it all made her the more curious and determined to figure out her Lord's behavior…_

_**End of Flashback**_

At that time, even Jaken realized that the look that his lord gave him… Jaken backed off immediately – heeding his warning.

Jaken sighed, thinking how did Lord Sesshomaru ever become fascinated with Rin.


	4. The Ward's Concern

**~~ I hope you guys had a good Easter: this little update is your present from yours truly :D**

**Thank you goes out to…**

**icegirljenni:** To be perfectly honest, I had trouble portraying Sesshomaru's character as to what he would do in those types of situations. But judging from your review, I guess I nailed it LOL. And as for "he has a way to handle everything perfectly, no?" Yeah… I wonder if you'll still think that when the plot moves along.

**Deadman19:** Thank you so much for your review: I hope that you will continue reviewing in the future :D

**Chapter 3**

When Rin awakens in the morning, she always felt refreshed and at peace; however, this was entirely different. This time, she felt anxious and worrisome – out of mere concern for her lord.

Rin opened her eyes, the luminous, golden warmth engulfing her as she tried to get used to the sunlight. She groaned, the light nearly blinding her – causing her to immediately raise her arm to shield her eyes.

A few moments passed before Rin realized that all was silent. There were very rare cases when she was abandoned…

Just thinking that her lord leaving her… it caused her heart to speed up in distress and uncertainty.

She didn't realize by thrusting her body upward quickly had effected Ah-Un as well; she also didn't realize that she was sleeping by the dragon's side. Nor did she remember… a blanket surrounding her petite form.

Rin couldn't help but smile; she knew that her Lord would always take care of her. She knew, from the moment upon meeting him, that he was not a type of person to show his emotions. But Rin did not think it mattered. At least she knew he cared…

But even Rin's conclusion didn't make her feel better, seeing as no one else was in her company except Ah-Un.

"He left again. And Master Jaken too," Rin whispered to herself.

No matter how beautiful the meadow was, or how majestic the sky was when the sun was arriving: no matter how peaceful it was, as the larks chirped happily – bursting with ecstatic joy, Rin was not succumbed to it.

She never liked it when she was alone; even though she prefered to be far from any human activity – exceptions included Lady Kagome and Lady Kaede.

Yet Rin was much accustomed to Lord Sesshomaru's presence that she nearly forgotten how melonchaly she would feel if she was left alone.

Rin sighed. This was another time that he had to leave her – but she knew that he would return for her. Rin knew that he wouldn't abandon her. He cared for her: but was it enough?

Before Rin could ponder on the subject any further, her stomach growled – demanding sustenance.

Rin shook her head: she would not feel gloomy. Lord Sesshomaru would come for her.. He always did: even when she was kidnapped by this one demon that sold children off to other slaves, even when she was scoffed by monks when she said that she would rather live in the mountains alone than to live in a human civilization.. Lord Sesshomaru came for her. What Rin noticed during that childhood memory was that he never killed those monks… He merely just.. came for her.

Rin sighed once more, but with a more relieved tone. Just being with him was enough for her.

**:3 :3 :3**

"Lord Sesshomaru! Are you quite certain that Rin will be fine by herself?"

Silence.

Jaken lamented to himself; he knew that his master would never answer back to him – especially if Rin was mentioned in the same sentence.

He knew his master was infatuated with Rin: even though he had never grandly showed it. Even though Jaken did not know his Lord that well, Jaken wasn't stupid enough to not notice anything that was happening during the past few years.

Jaken was quite unsure about leaving Rin behind; but what he was aware of – from what his Lord insinuated – was that Rin was safer where she was, and would remain there until he would return.

Jaken then knew that Rin would come to the conclusion that they would come back; after all, Lord Sesshomaru never went back on his word.

Meanwhile, Sesshomaru was also troubling to maintain his thoughts. His honey glazed eyes stared straight ahead, his ears frozen still, his legs moving onward and his arms at his side.  
>Naraku was dead; but Sesshomaru was at odds with his younger brother – the one that killed him. Sesshomaru was the rightful one to do it, but InuYasha had interfered. Yet he didn't think much of it as time passed.<p>

Even though Naraku was gone, there were other dangers lurking. Sesshomaru knew that there was something much worse than Naraku…

He noticed this not long after Naraku's death… He remembered leaving Rin for a short period of time – only coming back not even nine months notice to Kaede.

He knew that he could not bring Rin, yet she chose to remain by his side. Yet he left her behind with Ah-Un once more… Sesshomaru also came to the conclusion that Rin would not think much of it. Even Rin was smart enough to notice that he would come back.

Secretly, he was torn. He was torn about his supposed feelings for Rin. He did not even know how he saw her: did he see her as a child? No.

He only knew that she was his ward and was under his protection. Sesshomaru would come to an answer eventually about Rin…

Before Sesshomaru could remotely end his thoughts, he heard Jaken yelp in fear. Which meant that an unwanted presence was nearby in the forest.

A wicked, injurious chuckle came within it: leaving Sesshomaru to halt.

"Lord Sesshomaru – ruler of the West." A pair of visious, bloodthirsty eyes glowed. "It has been too long, dog demon."

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes, but his composure remained the same. He was not effected whatsoever of this demon's presence.

"I do not remember a lowlife such as you. Make way."

Then the stranger laughed, like a malignant beast. "Dogs always had poor memories. It is nice to see that you are no different from any other mutt."

"How dare you insult my lord!" Jaken squeaked out, trying to sound brave – yet failed miserably, as fear overtook him.

"Jaken!" Sesshomaru interrupted.

"Y-yes?"

"Go on back to Rin."

Jaken bowed. "Yes, I will leave right away." And so, the short demon made his way backward – obediently obeying his master's words.

He knew that his Lord would KILL him if anything happened to Rin; which was why if he valued his life, then Jaken would do what Sesshomaru commanded him.

After the imp left, the same malicious presence chuckled – which grew to be slightly annoying to Sesshomaru's ears. "So you do care for her…"

Sesshomaru's gaze immediately stared coldly into the stranger's eyes, gladly amused in every shape and form.

"I am not surprised. You are your father's son, after all."

"Silence!" Sesshomaru hissed out with a venomous tone, crackling his claws and in moments, Sesshomaru – with lightning speed – slashed the bushes, hoping to kill the beast.

"As I thought. You are just as weak as him."

Sesshomaru's patience, as well as his cool and collected behavior, was running out quickly. When anyone talked about his father – much less insulted him – he was furious enough to kill somebody. He never liked to hear anyone discussing his father's rash actions in the past, much less hearing glorious respected speeches about him. Sesshomaru despised him, and the trouble that he had brought along with him…

However, before Sesshomaru could detect it ahead of time, he noticed a wave of energy – blood red – soaring toward him. He cursed under his breath as he attempted to dodge it in midair.

But Sesshomaru did not run fast enough.

"Trying to run away on me, dog?"

Sesshomaru blatantly unsheathed his Bakusaiga – trying to protect himself from the blast. However, most of the blast grazed his right arm, which wielded his sword, causing Sesshomaru to fall on the ground.

"Someone great such as I does not run," He simply replied coldly, taking in deep breaths.

He did not understand as to why a simple barrage caused Sesshomaru to be downright exhausted. His chest ached… His legs felt as though they were going to be torn off, as well as both of his arms.

"You disappoint me, Lord Sesshomaru. Is this all the strength you can muster before me?"

Sesshomaru panted. "I have yet to know who you are."

The demon cackled. "I thought as much. If you simply let me introduce myself before you had to go and start a fight, you wouldn't be in such a vulnerable state."

Sesshomaru growled. He was not vulnerable. He was not weak. That barrage that the demon counteracted toward him was merely a cheap shot and nothing more.

"You are damn lucky I have decided not to kill you right now. It seems like this forest is not the appropriate setting I have in mind."

Sesshomaru merely stayed silent.

"Oh, and if I were you, I would get that arm checked out."

Even then, Sesshomaru knew that he left.

_Damn it, _he thought – glancing toward his right arm. It was bleeding… He could see his life blood dripping through his kimono.

Then the pain started to get worse; yet Sesshomaru told himself that this injury was nothing. All he had to do was go find that bastard. And more importantly, kill him.

No one tested his patience and got away with it.

**:3 :3 :3**

All day, Rin was worried. She started to believe the doubt shrouded in her heart: that he was not coming.

She shook her head – refusing to believe those thoughts. She would never break her loyalty to him… She adored her Lord with passion, and would never question his motives – although it was tempting. But Rin always knew that he would come back.

As she continued to sit beneath the blossom tree, the shade protecting her from the blazing sunshine.

All morning, Rin had to occupy herself with things that had grasped her attention from childhood – gathering flowers. Yet as the day dragged on, Sesshomaru still did not return to her.

Even though Rin had gone through this situation a few times before, Rin felt more worried than before. Was it because she was innocent and naïve back then? Was it because she had no idea as to what was going on?

Before Rin could dwell on this any further, she noticed Master Jaken appearing from the bushes – looking quite exhausted and disheveled, Rin knowing he probably tripped too many times to count.

"Master Jaken!" Rin greeted with a smile.

"Of course I've returned you insolent girl! Lord Sesshomaru would never have me leave you alone!"

Of course, when he mentioned Lord Sesshomaru, Rin's curiosity spiked tenfold. Her heartbeat was starting to quicken. "Where is Lord Sesshomaru?" She asked innocently, as she blinked a few times. She tried to sound perfectly natural, as her concern for her lord was rising steadily.

"Silly girl! Where he is is none of your concern."

"Is he alright?" Rin asked, ignoring the blatant tone in Jaken's voice.

That was then Jaken widened his eyes in shock and disbelief, causing Rin to turn around – to see what the fuss was all about.

Rin's heart nearly broke seeing her Lord… He was struggling to walk forward, though his legs were in good shape. What Rin noticed was that her Lord Sesshomaru was bleeding… from his right arm. And Rin could not help but notice the pained expression on his face, and within his eyes…

"Lord… Lord Sesshomaru," Rin whispered.

However, when he approached Rin… He fell unconscious; falling unto Rin's lap.

Jaken was about to explode from astonishment, but exclaimed as to how his lord got so wounded…

Whilst Rin was trying to fight a blush from forming on her face – as she felt her lord's head… resting untop of her thighs.

_Please be alright, Lord Sesshomaru,_ Rin thought, but dare try to move him…

**:3 :3 :3**

**~~ So, what did you think? **

**Yeah, it's probably rushed: but hey, I wanted to get things going!  
>I hope you liked it ~~~<strong>


	5. The Ruler's Honour

**~ Welcome to Chapter 4! Thank you goes out to these readers...**

**- ****icegirljenni**: Thank you for reviewing as always! And as for your thoughts on Sesshomaru, the correct thing to say is "I know that the last thing Sesshomaru wants to hear..." LOL. And yes, this is Rin's lucky day! XD

- **Deadman19:** As for the new enemy, we may have to wait a little while before his true identity is revealed... or will we? XD

**Chapter 4**

If Rin were not worried about her Lord, she would take time to enjoy the moment. But there was nothing to be pleased about - her master was suffering from an injury that may have occurred hours ago. Rin knew that she had no right as to ask Jaken to what happened; she knew that he wouldn't reply to her. After all these years of travelling together, Jaken was still his old-self - he never was once that kind to answer back kindly; at least, part of the time he didn't.

When Sesshomaru had so much fallen asleep on Rin's lap, Jaken was upset: but even that description turned into a major understatement. He was squawking for a good ten minutes or so before Rin drew out the inner strength that she never knew that she had; she had practically told him to shut up. But really, Rin told him - with a furious tone - to let Lord Sesshomaru rest. And so, Jaken knew that he had to accept the situation - even though he was more than aware that Sesshomaru would be upset if he knew that he was lying down on a human woman's lap. Unfortunately for Jaken, he knew that he would be blamed for this. When Lord Sesshomaru would wake up at least.

It had been hours since then; When Rin first checked out his wounds - as she reluctantly but gently placed Sesshomaru's top half of his body on the ground - and tore off his kimono in the process to wrap the bloody injury. When Jaken was currently gathering food for Rin, since there was absolutely no chance that Sesshomaru would so much wake up anytime soon. He knew that Rin never once made the assumption that their Lord had little sleep; though Rin knew that from his frosty exterior posture that he was always on guard. Yet it never occurred to her during the evening hours.

While Jaken was out with Ah-Un, Rin was still content with the Lord of the Western Lands laying on her lap.

If it were any other circumstance that had nothing to do with any injury, this night would have been heaven for Rin; thousands of stars were glowing amidst the midnight blue sky... the moon looked celestial and heavenly, also illuminating the sky with its pure white colour.

There was no sound to be heard - except crickets singing. There was nothing extraordinary in sight, except for fireflies floating around - basking in their golden light.

Rin sighed; her legs were asleep, and mostly warm - though the reason being was Sesshomaru breathing out... To be honest, it made Rin a little uncomfortable but the peaceful expression on her lord's face made her happy: it was as though he weren't on guard now. His cheekbones severely relaxed, his ears weren't twitching, and most of all his lips weren't in a stoic position. To be honest, it was as though he was happy...

Even though Rin never once saw him smile, it did not mean that he never felt joyous. Rin knew that when she was safe, he would be most pleased. Especially in one of her childhood memories: though, Rin never quite remembered what happened. But what she had been told, by Jaken, was that she was dead - and Sesshomaru went through Hell to save her. Jaken knew that Sesshomaru cared for her immensely, otherwise, there would have been no point in trailing the Hell Hound that swallowed her and Kohaku whole. During that time, Rin was asleep (she thought she was at the time) until she felt a cold hand press against her.

She did wake up, for some reason unknown to her, to see the relieved yet highly anxious golden eyes of her Lord Sesshomaru. He asked her if she was alright and Rin merely smiled, saying that she was. He put his hand on her cheek, as though he wanted to caress it - to reassure himself that Rin was indeed alive, but he never did.

Rin could not help but sigh again, reminiscing that memory with ease.

She once looked downward to the dog demon; the demon that had captured her very essence and turned it into sole worship. Rin never regretted following him - and she surely would regret living in a human village with no adventure. No promise of leading an exciting life. To her, living with humans was incredibly dull: she didn't have anything against Lady Kaede, Lady Kagome, or Sango - the demon slayer, but if she was kept in a human village, it would be like living in a cage: her freedom would be bound.

Travelling with Lord Sesshomaru had its perks; Rin wouldn't have to be roped into human contact, she would have done anything that she wanted without consequences (well, almost anything that she pleased), and she knew that she would be safe with Lord Sesshomaru. Being in a confined space, such as a village, never made her feel comfortable at any costs.

But this was not what she was at odds about; she was sorely tempted to touch his hair... His celestial, achromatic, smooth hair glowed. Rin did have a fascination with it, and she still did: otherwise, she wouldn't be tempted to comb it - much less tame it with her own hands.

Yet, how could Rin do such a thing when he was injured? Each time Rin attempted to see his injuries, it was as though he was coming close to being awake every time. It was a predicament to be sure.

But since he was breathing in and out calmly enough, Rin thought it was safe to assume that his injury wasn't as bad as she had made it out to be. Rin had seen the scratch mark, and bruising that went along with it, herself (when she had removed his haori). She knew that he was a strong warrior: exceeding any opponent that was flung his way. Lord Sesshomaru was more than strong enough to protect her from harm's way... But..

Rin shook her head, refusing to believe the shred of doubt that was clouding a small part of her mind.

As her chocolate eyes, once more, gazed over him, she could not help but think that he was an angel. But he wasn't an angel; he was a demon. A dog demon.

A sudden memory came to mind: bittersweet, cardinal eyes flashing with rage and bloodlust... a snarl that had accompanied it, but may as well be a warning to back off...

Rin gasped. Why would she suddenly think of that time? Why would she suddenly be afraid of him now, remembering their first meeting?

Rin gulped. She wasn't going to let herself be frightened. But her heart would not listen to her - since it started to beat velocious.

In her very own opinion, humans were much scarier than demons.

Another memory blazed in her mind; she remembered the time when she was being forced to conisder her rightful place in life. Either by a demon's side, or with humans. But what made Rin truly think hard about that memory, was the monk that held her against her will; he told her that humans and demons lived in different worlds. A human such as herself could not hope to belong in the world that was part of a demon. At the time, Rin didn't let his comments affect her.

But what did Rin think of this now?

Once again, she came to the conclusion that she made the right choice sticking by Lord Sesshomaru's side. No matter what - she would always be there for him.

_Until you die..._ a voice cackled in the depths of Rin's mind.

Rin crumpled her hands into fists, while her heart slowed down to a minimum and her stomach also drooped. She would die eventually; there was no way of getting around it. Her life was limited and expendable, which didn't make her feel any better about travelling along someone that practically screamed out immortal greatness. Jaken had rudely pointed out her life was inconsequential at one point - which earned him a more than an annoyed glare from Lord Sesshomaru for a mere total of three seconds. And once again, Rin had to recall what he told her about the future. She would die and she would be forgotten.

Rin still didn't believe that; even though Jaken was crude sometimes, she had a feeling that he cared for her. Rin knew that her lord cared for her as well: if he didn't... he wouldn't have come for her at all.

"Rin."

He was awake? Rin could feel herself burning... burning of humiliation and embarrassment - knowing that Sesshomaru caught himself lying down on her lap. He may as well noticed the sympathetic gaze she had toward him as well...

"Lord Sesshomaru." All of a sudden, the words that she practiced within her head had vanished; she didn't have the courage to speak to him, for some reason. She just felt... tense around him but at the same time, Rin felt like this was right for the two of them.

Rin felt.. ashamed and rejected. She felt as though he wasn't appreciative of her efforts to take care of him; and to her, it made her feel more embarrassed that he didn't ask for her help. What would he think of her now?

"What compelled you to wrap these bandages without this Sesshomaru's permission?"

If she felt embarrassed, it was nothing compared to the condescenion she felt burning in her gut: Rin even felt her cheeks starting to turn scarlet.

"I... I had to help you, Lord Sesshomaru," Rin murmured, glancing away from her master in complete embarrassment.

"I did not require for you to do so. My blood subsumes healing powers; I am not weak enough to require for help."

It was then Sesshomaru noticed that Rin was upset; regretful that she had taken sole care into wrapping bandages around his arm. It was then that Sesshomaru felt something.. felt something take hold of his stomach and clenching it tightly. He did not know what it was that made it so painful, but Sesshomaru could not care.

"I never thought that you were weak," Rin said abruptly, but as she felt eyes staring at her with... curiosity? Anger? Perturbed? She closed her mouth using her hands, and to her astonishment she also felt her cheeks burn brighter. Could she not remain silent in his presence?

"Rin."

She looked downward into Sesshomaru's eyes; her eyes glistening with tears. But... why?

Sesshomaru felt confused at the notion; why would she cause herself to show her regret in such a way as crying?

"This Sesshomaru wants to know the cause of your behavior."

"I am sorry, Lord Sesshomaru," Rin apologized, trying to hold in her tears, "I was stupid to try to heal you while you were sleeping."

"Rin." And with that, Rin stopped trying to talk her way into forgiveness. She knew that she was embarrassing herself, trying to agree with his logic. What... what was wrong with her?

"Do not apologize to me. What is the cause of your tears?"

Rin hesitated to answer him; if she told him the truth, then she would hope for dear life that he would not kill her. If she told him that she cared for him... Rin was worried about his reaction. "I... it is nothing." And with that, she shook her head.

All of a sudden, she felt the warmth of Sesshomaru leaving her thighs; thus, Rin turned away.

But never would Rin expect to feel a cool hand pulling on her wrist - therefore twisting Rin to change directions; Rin looked up, seeing the stoic, cold gaze of her Lord. "Lord... Sesshomaru?"

"It is not nothing nor is it stupid. Speak of it now."

"Why do you wish to know of my feelings? Jaken told me to keep them to myself. I mustn't cause trouble for-" Before Rin could finish speaking, she felt Sesshomaru pulling her closer toward him: She widened her eyes in astonishment, as she felt one one hand holding her shoulder and the other hand on her thigh - preventing her from escaping.

"I do cause trouble for you, Lord Sesshomaru. I must try harder to not do so," Rin swallowed, barely finding the confidence to finish off her sentence. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes. He knew that she was lying: there was something else that was troubling her. He did not like it.

"Do not say such silly things," Sesshomaru said. He instinctively raised his left hand - which used to be resting upon Rin's shoulder - to caress her cheek softly... delicately... Rin also trusted herself to lean into this one small display of affection; it was his own way of comforting her sometimes. Even though his hand felt chilling to the bone, it felt... undescribably relaxing to feel against her cheek.

"This Sesshomaru does not want to hear you belittle yourself again. You dishonour yourself," Then, in a shocking twist, he struggled to raise his right hand to rub her other cheek - to rid away the tears that were raining from her eyes... the tears that Sesshomaru did not want to see.

"I promise," Rin nodded her head.

"Now sleep," Sesshomaru suddenly pulled Rin toward him, causing her to lie down on his lap.

"But, my Lord - what about your arm? Is it healed?" Rin could not help but asking him this; she was truly concerned for him. It bugged her to know that Sesshomaru was not invincible: this may be one of the few times when she had seen him in this state.

"Do not worry yourself about trivial matters. Rest."

Rin reluctantly closed her eyes; she wished that she could forget this conversation had happened altogether. But.. he did something that was unexpected - and she was sure that he was surprised about it too.

She couldn't recognize the demeanor in his eyes.. the eyes that she had adored for too long now... Before she knew it, she was sleeping: regardless of her current position cuddling herself into Sesshomaru's lap.

Sesshomaru didn't seem to be fazed by her movement; since he was busy contemplating about something else.

Far down deep into his heart, which was once called "compassionate", he had stirrings. Sesshomaru did not know if they extended past beyond ward, but he knew one thing for certain: Rin caused him to feel this... She was the one that started to melt his icy character - though only slightly.

He knew that she was worth more than other humans; otherwise, she would not have been allowed to travel with him.

He knew that if he lost her again... he would react much differently than the time in the Underworld.

Sesshomaru did not want to see soulless eyes, or feel a cold corpse under his arms. He wanted to see her auburn eyes shine with happiness and he wanted her to smile... He did not want her to do the same to anyone else. Because Rin did not feel safe in a human village, and only dared to smile at a demon such as himself.

Even after all this time, he still did not know what to think of himself.

He knew that he had upset her by criticising her for healing his wounds. Or at least trying to heal them. Yet, Rin tried not to show him that she was effected by his words. Even he knew that she was used to his harsh exterior.

But it was as though Rin was telling him that he was not a beast... He had seen it in her eyes.

Sesshomaru closed his eyes and at the same time, he blocked off any other thought that wanted to be judged by him.

**:3 :3 :3**

**~~ BOY this chapter was HARD! **

**Mostly, I had trouble with the dialogue scene between the two... I think I did alright, but what do you think about this chapter? :D ~~**


	6. A Blossoming Feeling

**~ I'm giving you a warning now: I may or may not update next week. You see, I signed up for a drama at my school - and to be honest... the practices we have totally suck. No one even remembers their lines (except for yours truly LOL). So, the play is going to be taking up partial time of mine. In case if you're wondering why I hadn't updated LOL. **

**Anyways, kudos goes to these reviewers.. ~**

**- ****Deadman19:** Thank you very much! I am pleased that you liked this chapter.

- **icegirljenni****: **Don't you love the fact that Sesshomaru knows next to NOTHING about humans since he 'hates' them so much? (except for Rin, ha ha). Which makes it hilarious for me to try to remember when writing this story LOL. As for Jaken... he may or may not be in trouble: I'm not in charge of punishing him! XD And yes; a sleeping Sesshomaru I DO want to see! Ah... (INSERT CHEESY FAN GIRL DAYDREAM).

- **pammazola****: **When I read your review, you really made my day: you made me so happy to know that I've done well on characterization and my writing style! I look forward to hearing from you once more :)

- **Moonlight Mermaid**: I've read every one of your reviews and they made me smile :) Please keep reading and reviewing!

**Chapter 5**

When Rin had awaken after a peaceful slumber, she had smiled; she had smiled because she never felt happier. Of course, if she were a child, she would be acting far more giddy than usual, but since she wasn't... she could not proclaim her joyous state of mind.

When growing up to be a young woman, Rin had started to grow concern or feelings that revolve around other people. Or at least... those that didn't involve herself. When she was a child, all she would think about was being surrounded by the sunshine - and felt like she would never be troubled by anything. Those childish tactics of hopes and dreams to remain happy forever had faded slightly when Rin became an adolescent.

Especially if she were to come to terms with other humans. She had been taught everything about them by Kaede, knowing that Rin had spent nearly most of her childhood days that don't contain humans in the picture. Lady Kagome and Sango started to help her as well, pitching in about the female body to say the least. Rin felt confused at the time, not understanding most things that were being thrown at her. Being human was far too complicated for Rin to comprehend!

But there were things that Rin had needed to hear at the time; even if those topics of discussion originated from InuYasha himself. Rin merely knew that he was her Lord's half-brother, who he despised and vice versa, and the fact that he was a half-demon.

Rin didn't take a caring to him, she remembered that much. He was crude to her, like many other people - which was what Lady Kagome had said. At one point, she even thought that he didn't like her because she was traveling with his brother. Did Lady Kagome not tell him that people should only be judged by their personality and not by appearance? That was what Rin remembered during their conversation together.

She had been told much later that there was something else; Rin always appeared to be happy and content with her life, always frolicking around and pretending that the world was too perfect, too pure and too beautiful to be tainted by anything. This bugged InuYasha.

He then told her that life was not sunshine and roses - cruelly to say the least. There were many other things to worry about, as well as major problems, that occupied people's time. Rin was somewhat upset by his outburst as he began revealing inhumane crimes that were committed by humans such as herself.

It took time for her to realize that InuYasha was right; maybe she should have stopped pretending that life was perfect. Honestly, it wasn't. But Rin always came to the conclusion that if she was always with Lord Sesshomaru, life was good enough for her. That was what she told InuYasha.

However, his response also hurt her. He then told her that she had to stop being self-absorbed in the illusion that she would always be with him. It then... sparked a memory that she hadn't thought of in a long, long time.

It hurt Rin at the time because she knew he was right; he was merely reminding her that she would die and there was no need to go sentimental.

When Lord Sesshomaru came back for her, a few years later.. Rin was never more pleased to see him. She knew that she wanted to leave the village and never come back.. she never wanted to remember their talks.

But the true reason why Rin wanted to leave... she had missed her lord far too much; there were many days when she could not bear it. Many times she was crying hopelessly, convincing herself that he would not come back for her. Her heart yearned for him, and she prayed every night for him to come back. It hurt Rin a lot to realize that time passed and he did not show up to retrieve her. Then, the guilt and self-pity came: maybe he had chosen to not return for her. Maybe he realized that she was a burden... Maybe he took Jaken's advice and knew that she was not an asset. Not really.

Rin sighed. Those memories would never pass. She would always hold on to them to remind herself that she had changed for the better. What would have happened if she was stuck in that bubble of happiness?

She still felt peaceful and relaxed, ignoring the impending question in her head. She did not want to trouble herself with such things; and surely Lord Sesshomaru would demand her to tell them to him.

Rin felt relieved, more than anything else, to know that he had cared for her, and he still did. Otherwise, he would not have done those things last night...

She felt herself burning in embarrassment. Never once did he use both of his hands to comfort her - to reassure her in every way. But the feel of his hands felt amazing against her skin... Rin knew her thoughts were leading to somewhere else... She stopped herself. What was she thinking?

As her heart beat panicked and started to increase in speed, as well as her stomach grumbling for food, Rin decided it was time to... to leave the warm embrace... of Lord Sesshomaru?

She widened her eyes, wanting to know if it was true - what she thought...

She felt as though she were going to die in his embrace... She felt his strong, protective arms hold her in a way that she could not describe. Rin could not help but feel... safe and wanted in his arms. She felt like she could soar into the heavens and proclaim her feelings... She did not want this moment to end.

Her heart started to slow down, keeping in synch with her lord's... Just feeling his warm body beneath hers calmed her; he was her savior, he was her guardian and he was more than she could ever hope to be. Yet she was just a human with nothing to offer him.

Her heart drooped, and Rin suddenly felt... saddened. Why she continued to let herself feel this way, she did not know. She couldn't help it.

"Rin."

"Lord.. Lord Sesshomaru," Rin whispered, as she looked at him in the eye - feeling shameful. Her cheeks were rosy, and she wanted to die from embarrassment. Just looking into his honey gold eyes increased her guilt. Did she have no humility? "How do you feel?" Rin could not help but ask this: she had to admit that it was bothering her for some time, even during the previous night.

"I do not feel." Her lord stated, as though it were an obvious fact.

Rin knew that, but her eyes were piercing through the watchful gaze of Sesshomaru: she did not seem to ask questions as to why he had no feelings, but he could tell just from looking into her auburn eyes that she wanted to know.

Rin was still innocent in his own eyes. An innocence that could not be broken or shapen into something else.

"I am sorry that I asked."

Rin then felt an icy hand press against her cheek, causing her to turn back to him. She gasped, feeling the cool sensation - her mahogany hair flowed around her, creating a canopy or a safe haven - private to say the last - between the two of them: alone together in the clearing.

"I do not require any apologies from you, Rin."

_Then what do you want me to say?_ Rin thought, sounding quite frustrated from his response. But she didn't voice it out loud, fearing what his reaciton would be.

"However, I want to know why you made this choice." It was a question that bothered Sesshomaru far too many times: he was awfully tempted into asking Rin this, yet he never listened to his instincts. Before, it bothered him to know that Rin was a consequential part of his life. His opinion of her changed over time... and he even acknowledged it when he nearly lost her to the Master of the Underworld. Though, he was still stubborn and prideful to tell it to himself once again.

"I want to help you, Lord Sesshomaru." Rin leaned forward, leaning into the angelic touch of her lord. She couldn't help but want more.

"You did not answer this Sesshomaru's question. Why?"

In the inside, Rin was tearing herself apart: she wondered many times if she could truly tell him how she felt when she was around him. But he had just told her that he did not feel. He had not cared for anyone... Maybe it wouldn't hurt to ask?

At the same time though, Rin was still frightened. She was still scared that he would reject her: Rin did not want that to happen. Lord Sesshomaru was the only one who truly cared for her when no one else gave a damn about her. When she was an orphan, she wasn't truly looked after by the other villagers that had took her in. She was beaten, bruised and left mute - implicitly shunned by their society.

Rin didn't want to be alone again.

"You saved me, Lord Sesshomaru. Can I not repay the favor?"

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes; after all this time, did Rin truly think that this was a favor? Did she only assume that this was only a debt to pay? And not because... she cared for him? He could smell the lies; Rin was not telling him the truth.

"I do not tolerate any lies, Rin. Tell me the truth."

"You don't want to hear about it. I must keep it to myself," Rin murmured, once again, trying to pull away from her master's gaze and from his embrace. She had not noticed until now that his other hand was holding her to his chest - laying on her lower back.

"What are you frightened of?"

_Losing you, or the fact that you despise me because of what I feel for you, _Rin thought solemnly. She truly had no idea how long she was going to keep this to herself. Her heart was shattering enough as it was, only hearing his cruel, dispicable words of rejection would destroy it completely.

"I was scared that you were going to die on me, Lord Sesshomaru," Rin said, her voice filled with sorrow and fear. It was the truth and she hoped that Lord Sesshomaru would believe her.

"There was no need for you to be upset over something so trivial."

"I... feel so helpless and useless. I serve no purpose here," Rin replied, somewhat surprised that Lord Sesshomaru kept on brushing off her fears as something stupid and something that does not matter. But that was not true: she cared for him and had every right to fear his safety. "And I do not mean anything. I am not worth anything of value."

Sesshomaru did not faze in the slightest of Rin's comment; but the same could not be said within his inner walls. He desperately wanted to erase all traces of doubt within Rin's mind, and wanted to comfort her. But Sesshomaru brushed away those thoughts. His mind was in the trickiest of turmoils.. Yet he did not decide what he should do.

Based on pure instinct, he rolled on top of Rin, holding her close to his chest like if she was the most precious treasure. Deep down in his heart, Sesshomaru knew that Rin mattered more to him than anything else in this world.

"Silence." He glared into her eyes, which held tears. Sesshomaru did not tolerate crying.. When he saw Rin doing such a thing, he felt like he was dying: or something within him would snap, trying to eradicate anyone who would dare hurt her. Rin hardly ever cried, which led him to believe that if she ever did, that meant that someone had hurt her... badly.

Sesshomaru tried to tell himself that he did not care... but it was a worthless effort. He did care for her.. He did not think she was worthless. Rin meant an entire world to him: without her, he did not know what he would do with himself.

Sesshomaru then noticed that she was crying, but not sobbing or whimpering. Her tears were merely raining down her cheeks which were turning into the colour of snow.. Her neck caught the tears.. her swan-like, elegant neck...

Before he even had the faintest idea as to what he was doing in his current action, Sesshomaru brought his lips to her neck. He kissed it - smoothly, daintily and delicately as though he were a butterfly and not a terrifying demon. But that part of the intimate act had ended... Rin groaned as he felt him kiss her with such.. gentleness. It surprised her to know that he never always held the heartless and cruel facade: his touch, his kiss made it more comforting for her.

Once he heard her pleasurable meow, he pulled away. Sesshomaru knew that he could not continue this - much to his chagrin. Though his heart was pumping with adrenaline, with urges to continue to hear her scream out his name.. as much as his blood yearned for her, and his beast wanting to claim her.. Sesshomaru did not want to do it. He had plenty of self-control, and realizations. Realizations that would cost the both of them their lives..

"Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin panted, her heart beating wilder than any demon and faster than the wind itself.

He heard her voice, but words were caught in his throat; he did not reply, as his instincts were drawing into the sweet, intoxicating scent in her neck. Sesshomaru knew that he could not satisfy himself using Rin, as he had higher honour than an average human male.

He lowered his nostrils to inhale the seductive scent.. He nearly came, just smelling in her natural pheromone... she smelt like flowers, freshly picked sakura blossoms...

Rin didn't know how to feel at this moment Though she felt herself bursting with ecstacy, and she felt herself craving his touches and his kisses... Rin felt embarrassed thinking beyond that. She felt confused. Why was her lord doing this? Was this merely out of comfort?

Being pitied was not something that Rin was used to; during her lifetime, she was either beaten or shunned. Never once did anyone say sorry to her or offer any other type of sympathy. Rin knew that her concern for Sesshomaru had risen beyond her imagination; was her concern more than a mere type of sympathy? Or was there something less practical?

What shocked her even more was hearing the wild growl coming from his lips... Rin tensed up: she was not feeling comfortable anymore. Her heart was not beating in unison with her breathing... it was rapidly pacing. Rin could not speak anymore... Her words have left her.

"Do you fear this Sesshomaru?" He whispered against her neck.

"I'm not afraid, Lord Sesshomaru."

Sesshomaru pulled himself off of Rin, not granting himself permission to look into her eyes. "Never be afraid."

Rin's past feelings of discomfort immediately flew away. "Why would I be? I have no reason to fear anything. Not while I'm around you anyway," Rin felt herself blush after her last comment.

"You have reason to fear, Rin."

"But you are always here for me, Lord Sesshomaru. I can count on you to protect me."

"You cannot say such frivolous words to me."

Rin tilted her head, puzzled by his own. "I am not lying -"

"You say silly things that do not matter. Things that you do not know what they mean."

"Would I lie if I said I'd spend eternity with you?" Rin blurted out, not so much a reaction coming from Sesshomaru.

"Do not say such things," Sesshomaru's cold, calculating facade came back as he stood up. "You cannot make do on your promise: your honor would mean nothing."

"I don't know what you're talking about, my lord."

As the dog demon and human girl stared at one another, for eternity as it seemed, neither of them wanted to say anything. Though Rin was wanting to know why he was acting like this; especially after... his kiss.

"Find sustenance; you are hungry." And with that, Sesshomaru's silver hair flowed in the wind, and he had left Rin sitting alone.

Rin sighed; she wished to figure out his motives, but he would never allow anyone to study him. He did not want anyone to know him... Would he even reject Rin in that manner?

Once more, her stomach grumbled - complaining that it needs food.

She decided that she could think of her troubles later: she now had a stomach she had to please.

**:3 :3 :3**

**~ Yeah... I kinda lied about the word count. **

**Anyways, I want to know what you think of this chapter! Please leave a comment below :) ~**


	7. The Traveller's Obsession

**~ Thank you goes out to these awesome reviewers:**

**- ****Moonlight Mermaid**: Don't you worry - here's the next update! ^_^

- **icegirljenni**: Ha ha, you are absolutely right: Sesshomaru was kind of acting hot/cold in the last chapter (mostly because my stupid muse had written his part of the interaction). And yes, the two of them will tell each other how they feel. It's only six chapters into this after all. Please keep on reading and reviewing :)

- **Deadman19**: You should see the upcoming chapters: if you think that he'll drop his guard very quickly, think again! LOL ^_^

- **pammazola****:** I am so sorry if I confused things for you in the last chapter! If anything, blame my muse. I wanted to re-write it but my muse didn't let me, LOL. The reason why Rin wants to push him away is because she is still uncomfortable with her own feelings. Lucky for her that I'm going to step in as the official matchmaker, ha ha. And I do look forward to what you will say next whether if it is a short one or a long one :)

**Chapter 6**

"Where are we headed, Master Jaken?" Rin asked curiously, as she sat sideways atop of Ah-Un - who was being led by the reins by the imp that was loyal only to Lord Sesshomaru. However, he did not have so much patience around the human girl as his master seemed to possess, making him look less than the average faithful servant.

"Quiet, Rin! Lord Sesshomaru does not have to explain anything to you, simple girl!" Jaken sqwawked in response, causing Rin to sigh and say silent.

Meanwhile, the alpha of the group also stayed silent as he always did. And he also managed to stay cool, calm and collected: even when Jaken would put his own foot in his mouth. Rin had always constantly wondered how he could maintain such posture, and how could he always be patient - even if Jaken got hit, multiple times, Lord Sesshomaru would merely give him a cold, icy stare.

Rin bit her lip, glancing toward Lord Sesshomaru; it had been days since... since the incident. Rin blushed. She still remembered his lips pressed against her neck softly. He breathed in her scent... and Rin had to admit that his touches felt pleasurable against her skin. But she still felt unsure as to what she would do about the situation between them: but her instincts, as well as her heart, told her to do otherwise. It was as though Rin could hear them calling out to her, urging her to tell him how she felt. But Rin was scared to her wits; would he feel disgusted that a lowly human had feelings for him? Rin knew that it was beyond hero-worship.. but at the same time, she did not know what she would call them.

Rin was perfectly aware that he despised humans, as Jaken put it to her at one time. But Rin knew that was not so much true anymore.. or at least, she thought herself as an exception to that rule. Rin thought to herself that Lord Sesshomaru must have a reason to hate the human species so much, otherwise, why would he prejudice them in such a manner? Yet... why did she return to him? Why would he come back for her if... if he did not hold some feelings for her?

She had a feeling that if she had brought up the subject, no one would answer. Rin had a feeling that it was a tough subject to discuss, so she left it at that: but she pondered it whenever it crossed her mind.

But what mattered to Rin was that her lord was alive and well enough to travel again; she wished that she could understand what made the blood of a demon so... special and extraordinary. Granted that Rin tried to heal her lord, using her basic knowledge of treating injuries that she had learned from Lady Kaede, but her Lord had told her that his blood contained healing powers. It was only a day later that Rin found out that he was not lying to her. Rin was indeed astonished, seeing Lord Sesshomaru healed in such a short amount of time.

Before Rin could ponder on the magic and wonder of her Lord's recovery, her stomach growled - it wanted to be satisfied.

Rin turned her head to notice the surroundings; she could feel a shiver cascade down her spine, and her skin turn ice cold. She was not comfortable with the traveling arrangement: though she would not complain about it to Master Jaken or Lord Sesshomaru. Nor would she admit her fear of being in a dark forest: the trees, though held life, reminded Rin of one of her earliest childhood memories. This setting reminded her of the time... when she got killed by wolves.

Once again, Rin shivered. But at the same time, she shook her head. There was no need to be frightened. She was with Lord Sesshomaru; he would never let anything or anyone harm her. If she were in trouble, he was always there to save her...

Her stomach grumbled again, this time much louder than the predecessor. She sighed. There was no possible way of leaving to get food - much less trying to find some in the forest. She was terribly hungry, and who knew when they would exit the forest?

"My Lord... I am getting really hungry. May I go look for something to eat?" Her voice trembled with uncertainty and hesitance. Rin did not know why she sounded so... afraid. Did she not tell herself that she was in the presence of Lord Sesshomaru?

"There is NOTHING in this forest that you shall eat. You just have to wait," Jaken replied snarkily.

"Yes, Master Jaken," Rin replied, deciding it was best to listen to him. She knew there were countless times when she was a child when she had disobeyed Master Jaken's orders.

Meanwhile, Sesshomaru came to a stop: noticing that they had come in the presence of a demon's mist.

Even Jaken, and Rin, soon noticed that the air had become foggier and less clear. "What is happening, Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin asked quietly. It was as though she were the only one that maintained calmness, as Jaken was shivering in fright.

"Stay behind me," was all that Sesshomaru said before proceeding to walk forward, walking straight into the mist. However, Jaken did not notice that his master had left him - since he was still trembling like a coward.

Rin gasped. "Master Jaken! We mustn't fall behind!" She pointed straight ahead, to the exact place where her lord went.

Jaken only then realized this, but widened his eyes: his lord had abandoned him! Why would he do such a thing? "Hurry up, Rin."

However... when he turned to look behind him... Rin was gone.

**:3 :3 :3**

"Master Jaken! Master Jaken!" Rin called out, her voice filled with desperation and helplessness. But it was no use; Master Jaken had not heard her. He was gone...

Rin felt butterflies enter her stomach, causing her heart to pound itself against her rib cage. She was alone. She was not used to being alone... She always had someone with her, whether if it be Jaken or Ah-Un... even Lord Sesshomaru was with her. It instantly reminded her of the time when she was running away from the wolves that were attempting to kill her. There was never another time when Rin felt scared out of her wits. Until now.

The mist was too strong, and not even Rin could see anyone enter or leave it. She swallowed. What was she to do now? She did not think that her Lord would abandon her... he did say to stay close behind him, yet she didn't.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin screamed with all her might. Silence was the only answer she had received in response.

**:3 :3 :3**

He had his sights on her for a while now; he had started to feel much more for her than his concubines... he had started to be captivated by her beauty, but did not know when. Nor did he care. She belonged to him now: there was no competition, there were no males to be in the way of his conquest. There was no one to protect her.

His eyes glowed a dangerous, crimson colour within the mist, but it went unnoticed to the maiden who was searching desperately for her savior.

There would only be one savior; there would only be him to protect her.

At first, he merely wanted to tease the mighty Sesshomaru once more: he knew that he had feelings for the human woman, and he knew that he was too insubordinate to reveal such things. He wanted to destroy him.. After what he had done. But now was not the time: he would now claim the woman that had caught his attention. She was a nymphet: she.. was far too beautiful to resist.

He licked his lips; she would become his woman, she would bear his offspring. There was no question the two of them would produce such strong and pulchritudinous children.

**:3 :3 :3**

Rin knew that it was now hopeless to even try to call out for Lord Sesshomaru; even with his advanced demonic hearing, it seemed as though he was not going to come.

"Young maiden, are you alright?"

Rin immediately withdrew, hearing a stranger's voice. She gasped as the mysterious figure stalked straight toward her. She could not help but admit that he was handsome to an extent. He was dressed in a fine kimono, the main colours being rouge and raven black. His long, deep, onyx hair was tied back revealing a pale complexion. His eyes were the colour of blood, but held concern and kindness. Rin assumed that this man, whoever he was, must possess wealth. She had never seen such fine armor clad to his haori...

But Rin.. she just knew that she could not trust him. She could tell that there was something wrong.. but she did not know.

"Yes. I am fine," Rin answered. She tried to sound bold and confident, but in the inside, she was failing horribly. She hoped that this stranger would not notice.

"You are bleeding," The man stated.

Rin looked down to notice the palm of her hand, that had been cut; she had tripped on the ground many times, and there was even an occasion when her hand encountered a sharp object. "It is nothing. I am fine," Rin looked back to the direction of the foreigner, who came closer to her.

Before Rin could object, he knelt down besider and gently took her small, fragile hand within his. As Rin took a look at his hand, she noticed markings on his wrist and the length of his fingernails. This meant that this man was a demon. Just making the connection made her heart start to beat faster and faster. Rin became more nervous, but did not do or say anything to attract the attentions of the demon.

She noticed that he did not intend to harm her, even though she was astonished that he licked the wound clean. He then wrapped a bandage around her hand, and tied it tightly but not so tough either. "Is that better?" He gazed into her eyes.

Rin gulped. Maybe he truly was not so bad.. After all, he did manage her wound. "Thank you."

"I must ask you, why a beautiful maiden such as yourself is walking in this deadly forest?"

"I am travelling with my Lord," Rin simply replied, trying not to blush in mortification when he called her 'beautiful'.

"Where is he? I do not see him."

"I.. I got lost. I got seperated from him," Rin explained, feeling more embarrassed than calm.

"How could he leave such a blossoming woman behind?"

"He did not leave me behind! I just failed to catch up with him," Rin responded, with a venomous tone in her voice. "It is my fault. Not his."

He raised an eyebrow. _She is in love with him. I can tell..._

"What would you have done if he left you?"

"He would never leave me," Rin shook her head, reassuring herself as well as the demon. "He will come for me. I know it."

_Disgusting. She must truly be that devoted to him. This will be harder than I thought._

"You pray that he will come for you; this forest is more dangerous than one might think."

"You... wish to escort me to find Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin asked curiously.

_Damn it. _"Yes." _Though I would prefer it if you stay willingly with me... No matter. I will have you some time or another._

**:3 :3 :3**

"Jaken."

The imp demon cowered in fear, hearing his master's bitter, furiously displeased voice. He had every reason to be angry after all.

"Y-yes, my Lord?" Jaken answered, praying for dear life that he would not be slaughtered. He was his loyal subject after all.

"Did something happen to Rin?" Sesshomaru said bitterly, though his facial expression remained stoic. Yet one could tell from looking into his eyes that they were filled with displeasure and rage.

"F-funny you should mention that."

Sesshomaru growled lowly, not satisfied with Jaken's answer.

"She got lost in the lord, sire. But it is my sworn duty to go fetch her. Ahh! My lord where are you going?" Jaken noticed that Sesshomaru turned his back on him, heading straight back into the mist.

Whilst Jaken must stay behind and tend to Ah-Un's needs. _I knew it. He is very angry._

When it came to Rin's safety, one must pray for dear life to still be alive.

**:3 :3 :3**

Sesshomaru knew that the mist was a work of a demon; one powerful enough to conjure up such a fog. He knew that someone was seeking him out: but perhaps they did not know that they were all but asking for a death wish granted to them.

Golden eyes flickered left to right, taking in his surroundings. His nose tried to detect any nearby scents, more importantly Rin's. Unfortunately, he could not smell it: he could not sense her...natural perfume that radiated sakura blossoms.

She better not be left dead. She better still be alive.

Then... he noticed it. A stench powerfully strong and horrible. He recognized this stench. Sesshomaru narrowed his crysal eyes.

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin's voice called out to him, filled with relief and joy.

She was glad to see him; tears of happiness were appearing in her chocolate eyes, and her smile...

He then decided that she would not smile for anyone else, except for him.

Rin ran toward him, stopping only a meter short of distance. She could not help but grin in relief; she knew that he would never leave her. She knew that he would come for her. Rin was ecstatic to know that he cared for her...

Sesshomaru's nostrils took in the scent of blood. Her blood. "You are alright now," He stated, half a statement, the other half a question.

"Yes. If it were not for this man, I would still be bleeding," Rin admitted.

She was injured. She was bleeding. She was in dire need of help.. yet Sesshomaru was not there to assist her. The thought of someone else touching her, seeing that her hand had been bandaged... Sesshomaru was furious. No one touched her... No one touched what belonged to him. Rin was his ward: he was responsible for her... No one else should have the privilege to heal her wounds apart from this Sesshomaru. No one deserved to TOUCH her in general...

"If I had not come to her assistance, demons would have gotten to her quicker."

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes. He gently took Rin's hand, as gentle as he could without causing the wound to open up again, and pulled her to his side.

"Who are you?"

The familiar demon, dressed in his silk kimono and iron-clad armor, appeared. "Glad to see you are unharmed. I was worried that you may have run off on me."

Rin blushed, avoiding eye contact. Sesshomaru noticed this and decided that he did not like his implications. "You did not answer this Sesshomaru's question."

"My name is Masato. Takeshi Masato. You must be Sesshomaru."

"What do you want?"

"I want nothing from you, but I would wish to know the lovely maiden's name."

"My name is Rin."

Sesshomaru saw from the corner of his eye that Rin had left his side... to Masato's. He growled, but no one paid him any mind. He stood there and watched as Masato took Rin's injured hand... and kissed it.

Sesshomaru nearly saw red... He did not enjoy the sight that he just witnessed. No one had the right to kiss her... No one had the right to.. take her from him. Sesshomaru had lost her once; he refused to give her up. Nothing was ever the cost of her life... Power meant nothing in comparison to Rin. He wanted her by his side...

"We must leave, Rin," Sesshomaru turned around, feeling the rage boiling within him.

"Coming, Lord Sesshomaru!" And with that, Rin smiled gratefully toward the Masato before heading off to walk beside her Lord.

Masato was not pleased. But he reassured himself that he would take her for his own. He vowed that Sesshomaru will meet his end.

**:3 :3 :3**

**~ JEALOUS SESSHOMARU! XD **

**And now we meet the villain: seriously, isn't he a creepy dude? o_0 Good thing he doesn't exist in real life, LOL.**

**So please tell me what you think of this chapter: I'm looking forward to hear from you :) ~**


	8. The Jealous Dog

**Wow you guys respond so fast to my updates. But I'm thanking you anyway :)**

**- ****icegirljenni**: You are totally right: when it comes to battling for Rin's affections, if one recipient is Sesshomaru, no one else can really be a rival LOL! I mean seriously: just look at him! He's like a god in pretty much every way! :) Compared to Masato, you are right my friend; he isn't even worth talking to or looking at! Rin has her sights on Sesshomaru :D

- **Deadman19**: Yep: Sesshomaru was indeed jealous ^_^. But everyone knows he won't outwardly admit it ;)

- **Moonlight Mermaid**: We'll see about that little theory of yours later on ;) [just read! :D]

**Chapter 7**

Sesshomaru was not human; he did not possess any petty emotions nor did he have any that related to one that was held by humans.

It made him sick. It made him feel disgusted; smelling the wreaking stench of a demon - a raven demon at that - on Rin. His Rin.

No one was allowed to touch what he had touched. No one was allowed to heal what he had healed. No one was allowed to hold her.. Except him. He was the exception to the rules. Granted that she was indeed human, Sesshomaru knew that it was only a matter of time before Rin would perish again. He would not allow that to happen.

The human girl had vexed him in so many ways: it was difficult to tell the difference between a lust-filled inclination or an obsession. He knew that she had sought him out many times, but did not even know her own intentions.

Her mahogony brown hair flowed past her shoulders and down toward her lower back; it reminded him of a waterfall... Her locks were smooth... and were the scent of roses and tiger lillies. Sesshomaru snarled, demanding to stop seeing vivid images appearing in his mind.

Her eyes were blotted with chocolate and they held such.. innocence and playfulness. Like a vixen. Once again, more thoughts intruded his mind - thoughts that were not innocent like his Rin.

He could not believe that he was thinking of her in such... intimacy. But Sesshomaru knew that he could not stop. After the debacle with the raven demon, who cleverly disguised himself so well, Sesshomaru was about to lose it. He was about to lose his self-control, which he kept in check after hundreds of years of solitude. He did not take kindly for Rin, who ignored him at the scene, and practically used her woman charms... He was never more angry at that moment, for what Rin had done.

He felt piercings of displeasure crack through his cold heart after seeing such an irrational display from Rin; he did not delude himself into thinking that Rin knew what she was thinking. He knew that she would have no sudden realizations or new knowledge about the opposite sex. After all, she had loyally stuck to his side like a thorn does to a rose.. and she refused to co-operate with those who had intentions that included taking her away from him.

Sesshomaru growled; he did not like that. He did not like any thoughts that included doubts or worst fears: he did not want Rin to leave him. Without her by his side, his monstrous, cruel side would leak more often. He would be back to being the Killing Perfection... He would spill blood... Sesshomaru did not think much of it over the years before Rin had come into his domain. When she had continued to follow him, he unknowingly placed her into danger. When he did save her, however, he did not kill those cretins who dared to lay a hand on her. Sesshomaru did not know what reason he possibly had to NOT slaughter them in front of her. Aside from knowing that she would be frightened of him as though he were a monster.

A monster. Sesshomaru knew that someone great and powerful such as he did not qualify as such. He was no feral beast who did nothing but scurge others of their lives. Though Sesshomaru had once murdered thousands for merely less than important reasons, he was not a monster at any cost. Deep, deep, deep down in his heart.. he did not want Rin to think of him as such.

"Lord Sesshomaru.."

His ears picked up the sound of the moaning girl, who had lost consciousness and was deemed to sleep the rest of the night: though she herself told him that she was not tired in the physical sense. He simply raised an eyebrow, and looked at her intently; she was growing to be quite stubborn. But it did not matter though because in the end, he managed to lull her to sleep. He knew then the 'petty' emotions had changed him; he knew that he had changed.. it was all because of Rin. Sesshomaru did not know whether or not to think of it as a cursed, evil thing. He did not know if this girl had been a nymphet in disguise... or a demon sent from heaven...

But then his nose picked up... something else.

He snarled in distaste, not because he despised her scent but because he adored it... like he was a beast..

But Sesshomaru had higher honour than that; he would not ravage her. He would not take her for his own pleasure. Rin did not deserve to be treated to be anything less than... what she was. But what was she to him?

Did he.. have stirrings? Could.. he be like his father? Could he have feelings for a human woman?

Sesshomaru found himself at war with his beast; he wanted to claim her, and that urge - he knew would never go away. He did not want any harm to befall upon her; or some demon or human would want to sign their own death warrant. He could not bear life without her... He would go through hell and heaven to bring her back at his side. He had already lost her and it hurt to say the least. It was like he was going through hell... it was like he was breaking from the inside when he came to learn that Tensaiga could only bring back one soul from the dead ONE time. That was when Sesshomaru realized he felt something within his heart;The question was though... would he ever admit this to anyone but himself?

"Lord... Lord Sesshomaru..." Rin moaned, once again, captivating the attention of the demon lord.

He then noticed that she was panting heavily, and moaning in extreme pleasure. He then noticed that she was calling out for him because she wanted him.

Sesshomaru sat next to the girl, who was flushing like the heat was torturing her; he smirked arrogantly. He was the reason; he was the one that Rin was calling out for. HE was the one that was going to bring pleasure and ecstacy to her... Not that other demon; whom he could tell was going to court Rin. But someone as great as Sesshomaru never had competition when it came to staking a claim on a mate; Sesshomaru knew for certain that Rin was only devoted to him and would not pay attention to anyone insignificant. They were not worth her affections. They were not worth her time.

Before Sesshomaru could control himself, Rin's intoxicating scent drew him into her neck; he could hear the blood from under her.. smooth, porcelain skin.. the skin that he wished to taste. His nose breathed in her ravishing aroma... She was tempting.. she was sorely an addiction that he could not quit. She was something that he craved.. She was something that he cherished...

He breathed out.. Now was not the time to give into his beast's demands. Sesshomaru wanted to claim her also, but he cared for Rin: he wanted to be with her, but he knew that he was going to do it the right way; he couldn't possibly lose her again... He could not put her in danger again... He knew for certain was that he would protect her.

And so, by instinct, Sesshomaru wrapped an arm protectively yet gently around her waist, pulling her to him. And then, he fell asleep...

**:3 :3 :3**

The next day was different than Rin was used to; much more so than she could have known. But Rin was not one to complain of such things or even to question the weirdness of the situation.

The first thing she noticed was how he tended to.. find breakfast for her - which surprised Rin very much so. She had always been used to being self-efficient since traveling with Lord Sesshomaru. She had always been used to finding food for herself when she was hungry, and in return, she would be clothed and well protected when the time came. Rin knew now that she was much more aware of the dangers that were sure to find them, unlike when she was a child - when she wasn't even aware that there was true horror that was undoubtedly worse than what she had been through.

The second thing that Rin had payed attention was his behavior itself; to a certain extent, Sesshomaru was still acting like the usual cold, calculating beast that he was. However, how he managed to keep his facial expression intact whilst helping her, if she ever tripped or hurt herself when they were travelling. The way his eyes penetrated her own, like he was undressing her.. The way his hand gently lifted her wrist and kissed it.. it was enough for Rin to blush heavily. But she was not embarrassed.

The feelings that her lord was drawing out of her were like no other; Rin had no idea what she was experiencing, but a voice whispered in her head telling her that he was trying to make her feel relaxed, and entirely satisfied. That confused Rin: satisfied was not a word that she would use to describe this situation... Rin shook her head. She would try to decipher these hidden messages later..

"Rin! Hurry up and do not dawdle! We cannot waste time simply because you can't keep up!" Jaken rudely interrupted Rin's train of thought, causing her to gasp and blink her eyes. She nodded and walked a little faster, not daring to upset Master Jaken any further.

She knew for certain that Master Jaken was upset with her far more than usual, and Rin wondered if it was because she was spending all of her time with Lord Sesshomaru. But Rin wasn't entirely sure whether if it was for that reason. Whatever it was, she wasn't going to let Master Jaken upset her - even if some of his comments toward her made her uneasy and a little uncomfortable to hear.

But it was nearing the afternoon, the sun was blistering hot and a little much for Rin to bear; but she was determined to not be the reason why the group had to slow down. She panted, feeling her throat in need of water. Rin was also starting to get hungry as well, but she wasn't in need of sustenance yet. She could still travel, in her standards.

Rin didn't know how long it had been since she had stubbornly motivated herself into walking faster; the sun was burning.. Rin groaned: she had hardly complained in any situation, but then again, she had realized it was mostly because she was too cheerful and and playful as a child to notice much else. Rin knew that as a little girl, she was... not stupid to say the least. She wondered how Master Jaken could have possibly put up with her; she knew then that she must have annoyed him to an extent, but even if she did nothing, Master Jaken would still blame her for most occurrences. Yet he still protected her when Lord Sesshomaru could not.

After a time, Rin started to feel the heat... it was invading her skin... she couldn't help but pause for a few moments, trying to catch her breath. She was exhausted - and Rin wasn't too stubborn to admit that. Her heart was pounding furiously against her chest.

"Lord... Sesshomaru? May I sit and take a break?" Rin asked, feeling hopeful enough that he would grant her this request.

But before she knew it, she found herself in his arms... She felt one arm cup her legs gently - holding them gently to his chest while his other arm was placed under her back; Rin could feel his claws graze her, even though there was little more than her kimono to prevent her from feeling them against her skin.

Not for the first time, Rin felt dizzy and heated; mostly because she had been in the sunshine for far too long. "L-lord Sesshomaru?"

He did not reply; he only tightened his hold on her.

Rin couldn't help but smile; she knew that he truly did care for her... Her heart fluttered each time she acknowledged the presence of his powerful, tenacious hands.. She cuddled even closer to him: she didn't want him to let her go, even though she knew that he wouldn't have any intentions doing such.

Meanwhile, Jaken looked on with disapproval; if he had voiced his concerns, he would be knocked out far sooner than he could declare his loyalty to his lord. But it would be far worse if he were to leave Rin behind - much to the demon's dismay.

**:3 :3 :3**

"Lord Masato! I am so glad that you have returned. The castle has been weary without you, and your most devoted, loyal subjects have not been themselves since you were away. What is wrong my lord?"

Takeshi closed his eyes, barely able to keep his temper - a rage very well known in the North. He was barely able to restrain himself from killing his insect servant who had annoyed him in many, many ways; but he had kept him alive because of his undying promises of loyalty. Takeshi knew that he would not betray him - though threats of his life were constantly being thrown at him.

Takeshi was not in the mood to acknowledge anyone's presence, not that he did so anyway. He did not want to be pestered by his followers.. He wanted to be left alone.

"Are you alright my lord?" The servant, formally known as Meiwakuna **(1)**, asked 'concernedly': his eyes shining with lust and admiration.

Takeshi rolled his eyes, blatantly ignoring him; he knew that he was a handsome raven demon that was envied throughout the lands. He was bred of the most beautiful and the most powerful of demons, and he was the result of their union. But he could only take so much desire from many elligable, potential mates. Meiwakuna disgusted him to the point when he was attempted to kill the imp demon with every bit of power he possessed.

"Do not think you have the right to question me," was all that Takeshi spat out in vile bitterness, leaving the demon alone in the halls: wondering why his master was in such a bad mood.

Meanwhile, Takeshi growled in anger; he was furious.. no one had seen him this upset... Takeshi normally kept his composure, but this was a situation that frustrated him to no end. He noticed that the woman that he found himself infatuated with was in love with someone else.

This was not acceptable by his standards!

He was that angry... that he immediately used his claws to kill an innocent servant woman passing his way.

He knew the reason why his love was not noticing Takeshi Masato: it was because of that damned Sesshomaru - the son of Inutaisho. Takeshi hated him.. he despised him for taking away everything that he had..

His home.. his mother, his father, his sister... they had all been slain ruthlessly and without remorse; it was because of Sesshomaru's family. It was because of his parents that had caused the brutal deaths of the Masato family in the East.

Takeshi was the only survivor of the raven demon clan and so in order to surive, he had to leave. Even he knew, when he was a child when such a ludicrous event had occurred, that his village, his home had been burnt down to the ground.

It had been three hundred years since the incident had taken place; and Takeshi still did not take his revenge. He had every reason to cunningly devise strategies to kill the Inu Akumi clan, whom of which all had been involved, and he had every reason to stay in hiding. Takeshi was also pressured to take a mate:someone to give him sons and daughters to inherit his family's treasure and wealth. He had spent many years trying to repopulate, but he could not find a raven demoness worthy much less find one: since the annihilation of his people, there were next to none of raven demons. He had long since given up hope.

But once he found a beautiful woman, whose name was Rin... He knew that he had to have her. He knew that she would be worthy of his affections, which he would grant without question. He would woo her into submission and he would claim her as his rightful mate..

Yet there was something preventing Takeshi from completing this task; Sesshomaru.

This cursed Takeshi into thinking that there was no chance of courting Rin, since she was probably being wooed by Sesshomaru.

He had heard stories from his family who had scoffed at the idea of mating humans; Takeshi was supposedly raised to despise them as his family did, but in actualy fact, he had no problems with them. He did not know why his parents, as well as his older sister, hated them so much, but they were quick to say that they were disgusting, vile creatures that did not deserve to live.

He also heard that the dog demon families had no problems with them whatsoever; Inutaisho himself had taken a human mate, though he was legally binded to another. Yet that did not stop him from chasing after his desire, coveting the one thing that would surely kill him. And it did - he mated with a human princess named Izayoi, if Takeshi remembered correctly. They had created a half-breed son out of love and lust combined, regardless of the consequences that were to follow. Inutaisho died protecting his wife and his new-born with the highest honour.

Takeshi scoffed; whereas Sesshomaru did not inherit any emotions that his father had possessed. He himself believed that Sesshomaru was raised to be cold and heartless like his mother, though he did not know her to make a pre-conceived assumption, until he had seen Sesshomaru act much different.

Takeshi was not going to allow him to have her.. he did not deserve such a fine specimen. Takeshi knew that he would be able to pleasure her better than any mutt would do...

Takeshi grinned, making his way to his royal rooms. His plan will soon be put into motion.

**:3 :3 :3**

**This chapter is a little bit of a filler, but it's showing that Sesshomaru is SLOWLY letting his true feelings for Rin come out! ^_^ But we still have many chapters to go before he and Rin do the you-know-what. LOL!**

**1) This is funny because I was trying to find a perfect name for the demon, who is just as annoying as Jaken is most of the time, and so I used the Japanese word "Meiwakuna" which means "annoying" (literally ^_^) in English. **

**So please, do tell what you think :)**


	9. Code of Honour

**Now we're moving along to chapter 8! ^_^ Is it just me or does it seem so long ago I started this story? LOL! **

**Anyways, I'm only going to give you this heads up ahead of time: there will be cameos by some certain demons (hint hint), but here is your question to answer: who do you think will be the other antagonists within the story? In other words, what bad guy do you think will turn up? **

**If you don't feel like reviewing, just read and find out! ^_^ Thank you goes out to...**

**- ****Deadman19**: Are you kidding? The competition (if you could really call it that) is about to heat up!

- **Moonlight Mermaid**: If your heart raced the last chapter, just you wait for the future (hint hint) ^_^

- **icegirljenni**: Oh please! What if Rin was the one that was awake and Sesshomaru was the one sleeping.. and uh.. yeah! LOL. Yeah, I guess he was very prideful - Rin had always been loyal to him; so there would be no need to be jealous right? Takeshi may as well be Dr. Doofensmirtz from Phineas and Ferb: his plans will never, ever, ever work out! ^_^ Because let's face it, Rin wouldn't find bird demons attractive would she?

- **pammazola**: OMG! Thank you so much for doing that :) That really touches my heart - from what you're doing! ^_^ And yes, Sesshomaru is SO like his papa - but let's torture him a little and see how long it'll take him to admit it, haha.

**Chapter 8**

Rin had to gasp in happiness, as well as smiling in complete joy, as she took in her surroundings. She had never seen such beautiful scenery before, and was amazed that her Lord would even know where to find this place.

He had led her to a serene pool, which was accompanied by a majestic waterfall - of which the rain was cascading downward to create an illusion of tears as though they were from the angels up above. The statuesque trees stood proudly, guarding the oasis from unwanted foreigners. The sunshine illuminated the water through the trees, causing the water to sparkle in beauty. But what made Rin swoon, were the large amount of flowers planted all across the forest ground; there were varieties of flowers, practically all rainbow coloured. Rin breathed in the aroma of fresh fauna; they smelled pretty too...

Rin normally would have left her lord's side to pick those flowers, something that she had always been accustomed to do when she was a child. However, she felt... quite warm and was in need to cool off.

She was still in her lord's careful, guarding and compassionate arms.. He had not let her go... "Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin looked up into her demon lord's eyes, which held gentleness that Rin did not know that he had possessed.

"May I bathe please?" Rin spoke with a quietness that she was sure not even Lord Sesshomaru could even hear her.

Sesshomaru recquited her gaze, staring heatedly into her deep brown eyes... those gorgeous, beautiful eyes..

Sesshomaru still did not know what to make of the previous events that had occurred; hearing Rin moan pleasurably in her sleep was like an angel from heaven singing.. It was something that Sesshomaru wished to hear again, only that she would be calling out his name in such passion underneath him.. writhing in solace and self-indulgence. But Sesshomaru knew the time to.. give into his desires would not be now. He could not break his honour; he would not mate with the girl until she wanted it. He had higher standards than to force himself on an unwilling female, though it was not uncommon in the dog demon clan to mate with someone who caused their blood to boil in more ways than one.

Of course, he had to think about the proper procedures he would undertake when taking Rin; she was not a dog demon and she would not be aware of the customs of the dog demons' offical clauses and restrictions in this particular subject.

Female dogs, in other words bitches, do not have the strength to be dominant over the male in their relationship; however, they did have the power to choose their mate, with little interference from the male species, and if they did not choose a certain male who desired her, they would know better than to try to defy their sacred rules. Though their honour would be heavily wounded, but that was of little consequence.

But during the mating process, males were expected to be preeminant; females were to obey without question if they wanted the experience to be not violent and tortuous for the both of them. It all tied together with the bitemarks they were to brand on each other's skin - which they could place anywhere within reach. But of course this may or may not be unpleasant, depending on the strength of the male. Sesshomaru himself had heard rumors that it indignated agony and pain. Yet there was no truth to these rumors because one could not possibly hope to prove it to the rest of the clan.

"Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin adjured, still sounding quiet. He continued to ravish her with his stares, as well as his facial expression - which held handsome features. Rin felt her heart racing as she looked into his eyes with the same curiosity and gentle gaze.

He lowered her tenderly to the ground, still looking into her eyes...

"Thank you," Rin said, bowing her gratefulness when she stood up a few moments after he let her go, much to his annoyance.

Sesshomaru merely nodded, turning his back from her: giving her the privacy that she deserved.

Rin gulped, suddenly finding it to be uncomfortable; when she was younger, she did not mind Lord Sesshomaru being nearby, but this was an entirely different situation. She was older now.. and she had ideas planted in her mind that she was disgusting and horrid to look at. Where such thoughts had appeared, Rin did not know; but she figured they must be true. Since he was turning away in disgust...

Rin bit her lip, her eyes quickly filling up with embarrassed tears. Humans disgusted him in many ways.. it appeared to her that she was not any different.

She subconsciously withdrew her kimono from her body, placing it softly on the grass not too far from reach if there were a time when she wanted to leave the warm presence of the water.

Rin stepped a toe into the aquatic lymphate, and caused ripples to dash across the surface. Rin found herself within the water within minutes, divulging herself in the refreshing pool. She sighed in relaxation. The water immediately flushed away any heat that she had felt from earlier, and it felt quite pleasing to the senses. But that did not mean that Rin was going to leave this haven - in fact, far from it.

At least Rin had time to think about what she had done to cause such a strong reaction from her lord; for some reason, he had become less guarded - in her eyes - and she didn't know whether or not to think if it was indeed a bad thing.

She didn't think it wasn't a good thing - seeing Sesshomaru act so differently; though it did take her by surprise. For one instance, carrying her when she was getting exhausted and felt the need to faint, bringing her the nutrients she would need to start the day... the next thing that he did was take her here. It was like he was trying to impress her in some way, and it was definitely working.

Could Rin get used to such treatment for now on? Well, she had always been used to the cold demeanor that Lord Sesshomaru had put on for so many years now, and she didn't really care about that. Could she get used to his affection? But to be honest, he was never the type to show his emotions, until now. This confused Rin more than anything; she knew that Sesshomaru was a cold-hearted killer. But now he had done some questionable things and once more, there wasn't anything wrong with it.

Could.. could he be trying to court her? Rin had some faint idea of the sort, but didn't know much - seeing as that Lady Kagome and Lady Sango told her the basics. But what they didn't tell her was the fact that Lord Sesshomaru was not a human: he was a dog demon. Dog demons did not pay attention to human women. But.. if that were true, then Rin wouldn't have found herself in his care. Maybe.. he truly liked her. Or at least held some amount of feeling for her.

Rin came to the conclusion that maybe he would tell her how he felt; maybe she would do the same one day, if only she weren't so scared. If Rin were to tell Lord Sesshomaru about this, he would surely say that this was nothing to be afraid of - it would be trivial, a stupid concern out of mere nerves.

What would she do? What would she do if Lord Sesshomaru was trying to court her, in his own way? Well for one, she couldn't offer him anything in return: she hadn't come from a rich or powerful family of sorts. How could she please the almighty Lord Sesshomaru?

Rin sighed; she was indeed a coward. She could not hope to confess her feelings for him. But what were they? She knew that she had adored him for quite some time...

A ruffling of the bushes caused Rin's heart to race in anxiety; she widened her eyes in fear, bringing herself lower into the water. Very rarely did anyone make an appearance to cause Rin harm - mostly because Lord Sesshomaru was always around to save her...

As the dark figure began to reveal itself, Rin screamed at the top of her lungs, "LORD SESSHOMARU!"

**:3 :3 :3**

Sesshomaru was awfully tempted to break his code of honour - for simply to look in Rin's direction; of course, he would not fool anyone - that had a large amount of intelligence that was - into thinking he would only check to see if she was safe. He was not paranoid in the least, but Rin had drawn up feelings in him that he never knew he had until now. It was up to the point when he knew that he was more than a guardian. At least, in the parental sense.

Though he was a killing perfection, who made it a personal mission to not get his claws dirty, he had morals. Just because he had been seen as a ruthless beast, it did not mean that he lacked anything close to manners. In the clan, he had skills that lacked social activity, but was still cold and demeaning to anyone who wanted to start up a pointless conversation out of mere interest. Within private doors however, it was an entirely different story: sometimes he had a fiery rage that wasn't put out until who knew how long, and sometimes he had a point of ignoring anyone within the castle. It was how he was, no one could change that about him.

Yet Rin changed him... in ways that Sesshomaru himself could not bare to comprehend. He briefly wondered if he should do anything to eliminate the matter; in other words, eradicate the starting point of the feelings he had to grudgingly admit to himself deep down: Rin. But after minutes of intense consideration, Sesshomaru could not bring himself to kill the human girl that had brought much change out of him for many years. Ever since she was a child, she started to grow on him but Sesshomaru didn't admit that to himself at the time. It was only until that he nearly lost her when he had to concede to his heart; Rin was important to him. If she were to die from anyone's claws, including his own, he would not take it well - that was all he knew as of yet.

Other than the theory that he possibly had the inclination to kill Rin, which was a theory that was immediately rejected to complete, Sesshomaru assumed that Rin may not be a human girl. She may be a witch; tricking him to her heart's content, trying to torture him using his compassionate heart... But once again, Sesshomaru did not believe this; she was human - and didn't seem to possess any supernatural powers of any kind. She only held innocence - the very kind that every child had to possess. Even as a young woman, Rin still held that chastity.

Rin was to remain pure until Sesshomaru had decided otherwise... If anyone was to taint her, it was not going to be anyone else but Sesshomaru.. He was the only one deemed worthy enough for such an act.

"LORD SESSHOMARU!"

Sesshomaru's eyes widened, but not in astonishment; it was in complete antagonism. His blood was rising out of extreme displeasure and he felt the need to torment the soul that was trying his patience.. he wanted to slaughter the person who dared to so less TOUCH what belonged to him.

His eyes darkened to a bittersweet, bloodshot crimson and if one was to notice this, they would be right to assume that he would be changing into his dog form. He barely used it, since he had not come into any battles where he would need his transformation to win it. Very few people of any race dared to test his patience - making him angry enough to transform.

**:3 :3 :3**

Rin whimpered, as her body started to shiver in fear; she had never recalled being spied upon before. She wouldn't go as far as to saying that she was flattered that others enjoyed her without clothing on, but she was far from being embarrassed. In fact, she still felt mortified that someone had dared to take a sneak peak at her - even when Lord Sesshomaru had been around.

Being self-conscious of her looks didn't bother her; it was the fact that someone wanted to see her body for theirself.. though they wouldn't have made a move until now. But he still didn't show himself completely, but Rin did have a feeling who it was.

She knew that she couldn't have trusted him.. as much as he was polite to her, he made her feel nothing but paranoia and discomfort; but it was not as though Rin would say these kinds of insults straight to his face.

"Forgive me, Lady Rin. I did not mean to intrude upon you," Masato greeted apologetically, bowing low to show the meaning of his words.

Rin nodded, biting her lip, but she could still feel the demon's gaze upon her body.. although she was mostly hidden from his sight. Rin suddenly tensed, seeing his eyes lower them down to her skin...

"Why are you here?" Rin asked, trying not to sound heavilly annoyed by his presence.

"I had business I had to attend to," Masato said stiffly; it was not a complete lie. He had received a message from a tribe of local panther demons, who also claimed to be the enemies of the Dog Demon clan. Masato was more than aware of their history of battles and endless rivalries between each other, and it amused him to know that a bunch of merely low cats had the pride **(1)** to face Sesshomaru. He had agreed to meet them in this particular forest, and he did not intend - it was by coincidence only - to see his lovely maiden bathing in the forest pool. He tried with all of his might to not lick his lips in interest; Rin was a captivating woman, for a human, and her body would surely be just as tempting to see.. But she had hidden herself from him - much to his slight annoyance.

"If you do not mind.." Rin blushed, her eyes being torn away from Masato's.

This time, Masato let himself give into his inner temptations: he walked forward, but took his sweet time to kneel by the bank.

"W-what are you planning to do?" Rin couldn't help but stutter in astonishment, covering her chest with her bare arm as she made her way to the opposite side of the pool - trying to distance herself from Masato.

Masato was not pleased; he frowned, his eyes narrowed, and he nearly growled in discontent. He could tell that Rin was unsure of his intentions and he also had to assume that she was afraid of him.

To his chagrin, he found himself staring into bloodthirsty eyes and not the beautiful auburn he was fascinated with.

"Lord Sesshomaru, what an honour it is to meet you once again," Masato greeted formally.

Sesshomaru did not reply. Instead, he merely stared coldly into the raven's dark eyes with hatred and displeasure. "What is your purpose here?" He asked stoically.

"It is not my position to say, Lord Sesshomaru," Masato replied smuggly, though he did not look it. "But do not come to the conclusion that I am here to spy upon this beautiful woman. I would not do such a thing."

Sesshomaru could sense Rin's anxiety toward this man, and her fear for him increased exponentially.

"But I must ask you this: why are you here?"

Sesshomaru's patience was about to snap; his self-control to kill was about to break into thousands of pieces. His calm and collected behavior was merely a show for Rin. He did not want to frighten her. He did not want her to see him kill...

"It is none of your concern. Leave. While I will still allow it," Sesshomaru ordered.

"As you wish, Lord Sesshomaru," Masato stated obediently, but in Sesshomaru's ears, it was as though he were mocking him. Something that Sesshomaru did not tolerate. This led him to believe that Masato was not afraid of him - in fact, he possessed a courage that he had not seen in many years. Yet Sesshomaru was not left to dwell on this thought.

"Farewell, my lady Rin, I will see you again," Masato smiled flirtatiously. He was secretly hoping that Rin would not be able to fear him as much if he showed kindness toward her, yet it had not worked. Which led Masato to think that he must do something in order to quench that fear. He wanted her... and all he had to do was make sure that she wanted him; which could prove to be a difficult challenge.

Rin continued to hold fear, as she merely nodded him goodbye; but she was hoping that she would never see him again. As much as she was pained to think this, but she knew that not all demons were good and who wished fair intentions upon others. She knew that there were evil demons in the world, but it was like she could only trust one to save her. Lord Sesshomaru.

As she lamented to herself, she did not sense his presence nearby; she felt a blanket - or another piece of clothing - being wrapped around her naked self. She glanced upward, seeing her lord without the top layer of his kimono.

"We must leave, Rin," was all he said before turning around abruptly.

"Yes," Rin replied eagerly, not wanting to displease him. He was the only one that she cared for, after all...

**:3 :3 :3**

**1) Yes, the panther demons are coming back! But why? You'll find out soon enough...**

**And the fact that Rin is scared of Masato isn't really a surprise, I mean come on! He is a CREEP!**


	10. The Bird And Cat

**Hey guys, I've got some news: I've got ANOTHER Sesshomaru and Rin romance story under works :) Yeah, it's kind of based on the movie Thor (HELLO, CHRIS HEMSWORTH! {Swoon}) but I hope you guys will like it. It's only going to be like twenty or so chapters, but they're like super long. I don't know when I'm going to post the story up: probably when this story is done. I'll tell you more details later! ^_^**

**Thank you goes out to..**

**- ****icegirljenni**: I know, isn't it romantic that Sesshomaru would do that? I would totally, totally faint if he did that to me, LOL! And yes, this chapter is a stepping stone: it goes to show that Rin only has eyes for Lord Sesshomaru and that she finds Masato super super creepy! Ha ha :P Masato, you might not be scared of Sesshomaru now, but you're gonna **** your pants when you see his possessive streak 0_o. (XD)

- **Deadman19**: Masato is that desperate to get Rin; I mean, who wouldn't want such a cute little girl like her? (JK, she is not a little girl in this story, lol). And Masato does have evil schemes up his sleeve, but we all know they're going to fail! (SPOILER ALERT!)

- **Moonlight Mermaid**: I am so glad that you're enjoying this story more and more :) "Thoughtful" is one way to put it... (HINT HINT)

**Chapter 9**

"Takeshi Masato. It has been far too long," A woman greeted, though her voice lacked charisma and charm. In fact, it held next to little emotion at all except amusement.

"Touran," Masato nodded his head in return, taking in the sight of the panther demon he had not seen in a hundred years or so. They had been close allies and would always help the raven clan into achieving their goals. Their mutual hatred for the dog demon family led them to their alliance, as well as their long lost dreams of taking over the Western Lands.

"I suspect that you are here because of Sesshomaru," Touran stated, her lips pressed firmly against each other in a thin line.

"You know how it is; those filthy mutts are arrogant that they cannot even see it," Masato growled, his crimson eyes glowing in the dark.

"They do make for an interesting challenge, Masato. It would be just too much fun to kill them now. Besides, most of the dogs are extinct by now."

"Not Sesshomaru. Not his half-breed brother," Masato stated with an icy tone.

Touran laughed, this time it held no emotion or any particular feeling. "InuYasha is still the weak puppy that he is."

"And Sesshomaru?"

"He is more or less the same, after all these years. Even if he were stronger, what would you do about it, Masato?"

Masato began to breathe out, letting his guard drop around her little by little. "You know me better than most people, Touran."

"Of course," Touran grinned, her fangs protruding from the mouth as she did so. "And you know me better than others do, Masato." She stepped closer toward him, her icy breath touching his skin. They were in range of ensnaring each other in a mutual want, but Masato did not want to be teased - as Touran always did to him during their meetings. Her appearance is clever: her hair was icy blue, running past down her shoulders to stop at her lower back. Her skin was as fair as snow, as well as her ears on guard and always tuned themselves to nearby or far away noises. Her eyes were unreadable to most demons, but Masato could read her like a scroll. He knew what she was thinking, he knew what she was planning and vice versa- even if they had not seen each other in a hundred years.

"I require something of you," Masato seethed through his teeth.

"I can hardly assist you in the murder of Sesshomaru, Masato. Even you know that I cannot kill him."

"I am not asking you to kill him, Touran. I am asking you to distract him."

Touran rolled her eyes, and clicked her tongue. "This is a very, very, tricky assignment that you have offered me. We both know that this plan of yours is never going to work. Sesshomaru would know it in less than a minute."

"I only need time," Masato replied.

"Time to dispose of that wench? My, my, you have some grudge against him alright," Touran smirked as she crossed her arms. But when she noticed that Masato's expression had not changed, she continued, "You do plan to kill that human girl, I assume."

"I do not plan to kill Lady Rin."

"Masato, do you think I am that foolish to believe that? Of course it makes sense that you wish to make Sesshomaru suffer after all these years, but taking a human as a mate?" Touran looked at him with disapproval in her eyes.

"That is not your concern."

"If you wish to sire sons, you must not mate with a human."

"Are you threatening me?" Masato narrowed his eyes in disgust and bitterness.

"Not at all. But I thought you would have known that mating a human meant that you would not have children. It is a common fact." **(1)**

"Humans are quite fertile."

"Only when they mate with their own kind, Masato. In this case, mating with Sesshomaru's intended would lead to your death in other circumstances."

"He will not have her," Masato interrupted, also crossing his arms.

"I am warning you now, Masato, that you have not seen his true self. He is ferocious in battle," Touran said.

"I am not afraid of some measly puppy. I can kill him. I can make him pay for what he had done to my family."

"We had our taste of revenge too, and look where that got us."

"It is pitiful that cats like you have been defeated by those almighty dogs," Masato teased sarcastically, but he spoke those words with a calmness that he did not know he possessed.

"You think that you can kill them? The remaining Dog Demons?" Touran was not surprised that Masato still held his arrogance, and she was also aware that he was stupid and reckless when it came to situations such as these. "Let me remind you what happened to your family."

If Masato's pride was broken, he did not show it. "I have grown stronger now. Nothing will be able to hurt me."

"As long as you are sure of what you are doing, you have our support," Touran said hesitatingly, but it appeared that Masato was not aware that she was starting to question herself for trusting Masato. She knew that this was a mistake: what he was trying to do. He would embarrass himself, and even get himself killed - which was something that Touran did not want to happen. But he never listened to her opinions of the matter; clearly meaning that Touran was another woman whose opinion did not matter to him **(2)**.

"How is the East faring?" Masato asked conversationally.

"Our matters are none of your concern, but since you asked politely, we are doing quite well."

"Your Lord?"

"He is alive and well. I will have you know that he will be coming to the West," Touran grinned smuggly.

Masato widened his eyes. "He's.. he is coming here?" **(3)**

"Yes. For unfinished business. Do not tell me that you cower our master, Masato."

"I am not scared of him. I am not scared of anyone."

"I must really be off, Masato. Please. Do keep in touch," Touran walked right past Masato without looking him in the eye, with one hand on her hip and the other by her side.

After hearing that the Lord of the East was coming to visit with Lord Sesshomaru, he added bitterly, he would use this to his advantage. Maybe Touran was going to help him in his cause after all. She was not the type to avoid a potential battle with Sesshomaru of all demons; she would welcome it. After all, Touran did not think that the East had many potential challenges for her.

Yes... Masato grinned. He will have Rin. Even sooner than he could have hoped.

**:3 :3 :3**

"Look, Lord Sesshomaru! A shooting star!" Rin pointed out gleefully, then crossing her fingers together to pray: it was a tradition that she had started not too long ago. If she ever saw a shooting star with her lord, she would pray for the same thing each time: being with her lord forever... Even if she were to be remembered by him would satisfy Rin; she knew that she could not live as long as Lord Sesshomaru: his demonic blood gave him a lifespan far greater than her own. But still - even if she were to die one day, Rin hoped that he would be happy; happy enough to find another girl to care for..

It was night; the midnight sky cloaked the stars that were shining innocently. There were perhaps thousands and thousands of stars in the sky, which always awed Rin. She did not know what she had liked better - the simple pasttime of collecting flowers or stargazing whenever she encountered a cloudless night such as this.

To be perfectly honest, Rin never felt more comfortable than she ever had; she was sitting beside Lord Sesshomaru - much closer than she would have guessed - and even if she were only a few inches from his side, she could feel his warmth radiating from his clothes. This was abnormal, considering the fact that his skin was icy cold.

The awkwardness between them, if there was any to begin with, had long since vanished; Rin felt a little uncomfortable under his gaze, but that even passed. She could not help but think it was alright for his eyes to stare at her in such a way...

"Aren't you going to wish for anything, Lord Sesshomaru?" Rin turned her head to the side, noticing that he had simply not folded his hands like she had done.

Sesshomaru's golden eyes flickered to her direction; he did not want anything in particular but for Rin to remain pure and innocent, as well as being joyful for the rest of her days with him. He found 'wishing upon a star' a waste of time. He did not wish for anything that he desired based on the preconceived notion that stars granted one's wish. The ways of humans never surprised him. "I do not need anything, Rin."

Rin's usual cheerful charisma faded into disappointment and sadness: emotions that Sesshomaru did not want to see on her face. "What did you wish for?"

Rin smiled weakly. "I wished for you to be happy, Lord Sesshomaru. When the time comes, you could find another orphaned girl.. someone to make you proud."

"What makes you assume that I am not 'happy'?"

"I- I didn't mean that you aren't happy with me, my Lord," Rin quickly blushed, trying to defend herself. "It's just that.. I don't want you to be alone when I die."

Sesshomaru dropped his jaw in astonishment, shocked that Rin had said things such as this to him. "Do not say such silly things," Sesshomaru finally replied, after a long moment of silence between them.

He felt a pang of realization hit him; if he did not claim her... but he planned to do so.. she would die; life without Rin would be unbearably difficult for him. If she was not by his side, he would be the one feeling alone.

He then raised his hand.. to caress Rin's cheek; he cradled it in his palm, feeling the softness of her skin.

"Lord Sesshomaru?"

Sesshomaru was half-tempted to kiss her and take her, like his beast originally planned... Until he smelt it: a familiar, wreaking stench. It meant only one thing - the panthers were back. Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes, pulling his hand away from Rin's beautiful cheek.

"What is it?"

"Rin.. sleep."

After hearing the tone of his voice, Rin dared not to argue with him; it was as though he sounded... worried? What would he have to worry about? Whatever it was, Rin did not dwell on it too much: she closed her eyes and hoped that would have a peaceful slumber.

**:3 :3 :3**

**1) I'm just assuming that demons, such as Masato, do have trouble reproducing with humans. Well, in other words, I'm trying to make a point that ravens do not give birth to their young: they lay their eggs, am I right? So yeah, that would be a problem in Masato's case. **

**2) I am not trying to be sexist or anything, but that's how things worked back in that period: men were arrogant bastards who basically use women for nothing more than a tool to give birth to their kids. I'm a girl and I still find that offensive to that day!**

**3) CHARACTER INTRODUCTION! Yes, there's also going to be another bad guy, but you'll find out who it is in due time :)**

**So what did you guys think of this chapter? I hope you guys liked it :)**


	11. A New Pawn

**I've received good feedback this chapter :D And as a little reward, here's the next update! But first, thank you goes out to..**

**- ****Moonlight Mermaid**: I hope he does too: believe me, I don't even know what's going on in Sesshomaru's head!

- **Deadman19**: The "potential new enemy" could remain neutral within this little uprising between Masato and Sesshomaru: but that can be easily changed. LOL.

- **JellyWinchester**: OMG! LOL! :D You could have told your teacher that this had to do with the Feudal Era, so you could have gotten away with it LOL. I really can't wait until your next review, buddy :)

- **icegirljenni**: Yes, well, the drama is just getting started! But the Lord of the East is probably going to remain on neutral sides, but you'll see what's going ot happen later on. And yes, Masato is a spoiled brat: BUDDY, GUESS WHAT? RIN DOESN'T LIKE YOU. LOL.

- **pammazola**: Masato disturbs everyone; no wonder he doesn't have a girlfriend. LOL! XP

- **xmxoxoxnxy**: Interesting pen name - I like it :) And I do agree with you: Sesshomaru is one of the hottest characters in the show! Oops, did I say hottest? I meant to say that he's one of my faves :D

**Chapter 10  
><strong> Fear. An emotion that Sesshomaru had not come close to possessing in a long time; the last time that he had acknowledged this feeling was when Rin had died - and he did not have the power to bring her life back from the Underworld.

And this time, he had to feel it again; only this time, Sesshomaru was sure enough that he was not going to let this happen. He needed to take Rin to a safe place.. while he hunted down those panther demons.

He had plenty of encounters with them, including the wars that occurred between them. They were particularly cunning and strategious - making them all the more harder to beat in battle. The panthers had support from the East - ever since they had taken control of those lands a mere one hundred years ago; how they managed to get back on their feet was beyond Sesshomaru's thoughts, but he had always kept track of their hidden agendas. Even though their rivalry had 'ended' years ago, Sesshomaru did not find it in his heart to trust them and think of them as his allies; they were always meant to be enemies of the Dog Demon clan.

Sesshomaru was not paranoid; he was absolutely sure of himself that the panthers were trespassing on HIS lands for a reason.

He thought that things could not possibly get any worse; aside from the situation with Masato and his foolish attempts of courting Rin, which he dared not to think about now, it seemed that he was cursed. His mother was awaiting at the castle for a visit.

He scoffed; his mother. He had not seen in her in centuries, but the previous visit had more to do with Sesshomaru's sword Tenseiga . He wanted to make it stronger - he wanted to perfect the Meido Zenghetsua. In the end, his conquest for power nearly costed Rin's life - something that he did not think of, until his mother taught him to use his heart.

Considering that she had raised him to be heartless, just as she was. Yet she had no literal problem with Sesshomaru, dealing with young human girl. But that did not mean that she did not approve.

"Sesshomaru, my only son, why have you not visited your poor, lonely mother?" **(1)**

"Why are you here?" Sesshomaru ignored the false concern in his mother's voice.

Gold eyes stared back at him with just as much suspicion. "Why do you not believe your dear old mother, Sesshomaru? I have come here to see you."

"Such ficticious words."

"Why must you be so cruel?" Sessmom **(2)** whimpered, her lower lip pouting. But since her current behavior was not amusing her son, she stopped. She sighed. "If you must know, I have come to offer my assistance."

"The panthers are of no consequence," Sesshomaru stated slowly.

"Of course they are, Sesshomaru. They have caused you trouble for hundreds of years," Sessmom said calmly but cooly.

"I do not need help from you," Sesshomaru replied icily, his posture rim-rod straight. He had always put up his guard around her; even though she was the one who raised him - and taught him to trust no one. To feel for no one. But that had changed; it took him five hundred years to see it.

"Of course not. You are the Mighty Sesshomaru; he does not need help. Not even from his own mother!" Sessmom cried out, but she was always one to put on an act out of 'concern' and 'caring' for her child. "You are indeed fortunate to have me as a mother, after all; I am going to help, whether if you like it or not."

"I presume you know why they trespassed."

"Are you aware of the ruler of the East?"

"Yukona?" Yukona was a swan demon who radiated power, wealth and elegance all in one as she ruled over the Eastern Lands; she was not mated or married, and obviously did not have heirs. She was cool, calm and collected who also had the idea to chase after supreme conquest; she was a ruthless leader. She was the only one who did not join in an alliance with the other lands - she was stubborn and prideful, like Sesshomaru. There were even rumors about marriage proposals to Lord Sesshomaru; surely the both of them mated and in power would bring fear among the other lands. But Sesshomaru, like Yukona, refused.

"Dead."

Sesshomaru furrowed his eyebrows. "Lies."

"You have grown too far from court, my son. But I do not blame you; after all, she is beautiful," Sessmom giggled, teasing her son.

"Nothing distracts this Sesshomaru."

"One word of caution, son: keep her in your sight."

"You know who she is?"

"Please come visit me, but.. bring some grandchildren," Sessmom smiled.

Sesshomaru growled; his mother had always been so blunt. And she had wondered why he had not come to visit her.

**:3 :3 :3**

Rin did not feel safe; though she was tucked under the silk covers, of Sesshomaru's sleeping quarters no less, Rin.. she did not feel comfortable. Was it because he was not there with her? Was it because she felt alone?

Lightning flashed, and thunder boomed, causing Rin to duck down under the covers. She was never a coward; she was never afraid of thunderstorms, mostly because.. she had Lord Sesshomaru with her. He was always there to protect her. But not now.

Rin felt extremely gullible for behaving like a small child; but she could not help it. No matter if she was in a large castle, packed with demon servants, Rin did not feel comfortable here...

She was feeling paranoid; she could feel someone out there watching her.. which frightened her.

Yet she knew that she could always call out for Lord Sesshomaru to save her; she knew that he would come for her.. He would not leave her alone..

Rin had wondered why Lord Sesshomaru had brought them to his castle; she remembered.. that he was upset. Rin wondered if he was worried about something, but could not hope to explain it to Rin. It was like he was afraid..

No. That was not true; Lord Sesshomaru was never afraid. He was always brave, always courageous, and always strong. Rin never remembered a time when Lord Sesshomaru acted as though he were a different person. Until earlier that day.

Rin had a feeling that he was concerned for her safety.. was that why he was so worried for her?

A shadow passed the balcony, and Rin noticed it. Shivers of extreme terror and mortification ran down her spine; her heart was pounding abnormally fast... her eyes widened.

A few moments later, she saw the same shadow.. only pausing in front of the window - staring at her...

"Lord Sesshomaru!" Rin called out, desparation crawling in her voice. She could feel tears form in her eyes, but she was not even sure if she could let them fall. She was frozen in her lord's futon.. she could not move: what if.. what if that shadow entered the room?

She closed her eyes; she hoped that this was a nightmare. She prayed that this was not real...

"Rin."

Rin opened her eyes, seeing the concerned, overprotective gaze of her lord.

"Lord Sesshomaru.." She spoke quietly, yet still relieved that he had come for her. He kneeled before her, his hand resting on the hilt of one of his swords. Tears of fright and joy spilled out of her eyes, as she immediately drew her lord in for a passionate embrace.

She could feel his heat seeping through her veins, as her hands gripped his kimono tightly. She sniffled - as more tears poured down her cheeks. Her chest was pressed up against his own.. Feeling his body against her own comforted her.

"Rin."

"Please don't leave me," Rin begged, pressing herself tighter against him: urging him to touch her.

Sesshomaru nearly lost control when he heard her cry.. he never wanted to hear her do that; it would make him think that she was dying.. in pain..

He covered her with his arms protectively, holding her just as tight. He buried his nose into her hair, inhaling her lovely scent..

"Stay with me," Rin requested, her eyes starting to droop.

Sesshomaru was not going to object.

**:3 :3 :3**

"Masato," Touran's voice interrupted the raven demon, who was about to lose his temper.

Could anyone blame him for wanting to.. giving into the inner temptation to kill? He wanted to see blood spill: more importantly, he would want to see Sesshomaru fall to the ground lifeless and broken.

He was close.. He was close to getting her... If it were not for the fact that Rin had called **his** name.

"What do you want, Touran?" The last person he wanted to talk to was Touran; who would no doubt taunt him in his failed scheme.

"My, my, do you sound so happy tonight?" Touran smirked, her fangs glowing brightly in the dark. "Your plan to scare her didn't work, did it?"

"He had to interfere," Masato replied.

"You won't be able to claim her, Masato. She is not interested in you."

His eyes started to turn blood-red. "She will be. She will be mine." It was not a lie; he would do anything to make sure that gorgous nymphet will tremble under his touch.. he would do anything to make sure that she would call his name in ecstacy.. he would do anything to make sure that she would be in love with him - and no one else.

After all, he had a back up plan. A plan that involved the death of Sesshomaru: the son of the Dog Demon General.

"You do not know Sesshomaru, Masato. He can kill you if you take her from him."

Masato sneered, "I had no idea that you are concerned for my welfare, Touran."

"I am serious. If he knew I was involved in this, he would have no reason to hold back on your account."

"Touran, I am serious as well. Once I have young Lady Rin in my grasp, there is no possibility that he will kill me."

"If you wish to sign your own death warrant, go on ahead. But I am not getting myself on the wrong side of Sesshomaru." 

**:3 :3 :3**

******1) From what I had watched from episode 9 of the Final Act, Sesshomaru's mom is like a little drama queen (but it's hilarious though :P); so I had to include this :)**

**2) I don't know what her name is, it's probably never mentioned, but I decided to just call her Sessmom. :P**

**Please give me a review - I'd really like to know what you think :)**


	12. Courting Traditions

**Thank you goes out to...**

**- ****icegirljenni**: I thought always that Lady Mother was hilarious! She cracks me up :S. And as for Masato, I am trying to develop him into a brooding yet obsessive villain. When I hear reviews that he is creepy and sadistic, I know I'm doing my job right ;) Rin likes you, silly! Don't belittle yourself, sweetie :)

- **Deadman19**: Yeah - I've also heard her being called Inukimi: and I'm glad that you thought the mother/son interaction made you lol. :) This was probably the only part I tried to brighten the spirits lolz.

- **Moonlight Mermaid**: I know! She is so hilarious, and tries to play off her 'sad' emotions as humor. I LOVE HER! :D And yes, he obviously keeps her company: Sesshomaru has more honour than to leave a woman like Rin alone. LOL.

- **xmxoxoxnxy**: I have to agree with you on that: Sesshomaru is so totally adorable when he's protective of Rin and I'm always like aww!

- **pammazola**: Nice to hear from you as always ;) Masato is a freak: he can NEVER take a hint! I mean, hello - you're never going to get some with Rin. Pervert. Rin will tell Sesshomaru of her feelings eventually, and who knows? Maybe they'll get it on while they're at it, LOL!

**Chapter 11**

This was a perfect moment; no one could tear it away from them.

Sesshomaru's golden eyes took in the sight of his woman... the woman that he had yet to claim. The woman that was passionately holding him: and he did not want to let her go. He had come far too close to losing her in the past. She was his life.. And there was no other.

He could feel her petite body lying on top of his own; there were few items of clothing seperating them. He could feel her warm breath on his skin - he was tempted to moan in solace.. but he was not one to do this. He was one to stay silent and observant; in this case, he was the observant one.

She appeared to be peaceful and content in her sleep; there were no whimpers of pain and torment coming from her and there were certainly no tears of fright either. This meant that Sesshomaru was calm and content as well; if Rin was upset, he knew deep in his heart that he would be as well. Seeing her cry.. it did not suit him seeing this. It only encouraged his inner demon to kill the bastard who caused those tears.

Just feeling her pressed up against him..

_No. I cannot claim her now._ Sesshomaru had yet to finish courting her before the mating ritual would even begin; and even before that, there was the marriage ceremony that had to occur first before anyone could mate anyone. His mother would be the one doing the arrangements, much to his chagrin - since she had hinted at this during their last conversation together at dinner. Rin was fortunate enough to not witness it.

Sessmom was wanting grandchildren; but solely for the purpose of wanting another pup to spoil. Apparently she did not care if they would be half-breeds: as long as they had his blood, she would 'welcome' them in her arms. Sesshomaru had wondered if she had encountered InuYasha, but that thought immediately fled from his mind. It was highly unlikely. InuYasha would not tolerate anyone from the Dog Demon clan; his brash attitude to Sesshomaru was enough of an indication.

_**Why not? We must make her ours... **_His beast replied, almost sadistically.

_Masato must be taken care of first. No question. _Sesshomaru stated stoically, hoping his point would come across.

_**If you let me come out.. I promise the job would get done. **_Sesshomaru would not resolve to using his demon self to kill someone that did not even present themselves as a major threat. It would not even be worth it.

_No,_ Sesshomaru said firmly.

_**Why not? You want her as much as I do... **_

_I will take her when we have married; I have not yet finished the courting process. _And then, the beast vanished: but it was only temporary. It would soon be back - demanding why he still did not take Rin as his mate. It was an eventuality; Masato was causing enough problems as it was. He knew who he was when he had found Rin in the mist. He was a raven demon. A raven demon seeking revenge - and it was for something that Sesshomaru himself did not cause.

Three hundred years ago, the ravens sought a deal from the Dog Demon clan: they would give their daughter Hizuri, the princess, in exchange for personal protection against the other lands. The Ravens came from the North, but they landed near the south western border in high hopes to negotiate with either rulers.

The problem was that the Raven clan were not exactly strong, fierce or intelligent: asking for protection was a cowardly move, unless there was a reasonable intention behind it. Sesshomaru knew that his father was not inclined into accepting the ravens' wish; they had nothing valuble to offer him.

But they were not as cowardly as one would think; the ravens themselves started invading the West - clearly outraged that the Dog General refused to 'help' them in their personal matters. They came seeking for war, and the Dog Demon clan was eager enough to give them one.

The results were no surprise; the Dogs won - they had taken over the Ravens' initial nesting property and burned it to the ground. There was collateral damage, but none of the ravens were innocent. The women were sluts and the males were overtaken with greed.

Clearly Masato was the mere survivor; and he wanted revenge against Sesshomaru's family.

Now it made sense as to why his mother was here; to eliminate the ravens once and for all. Which was odd though; normally, his mother would never participate in such violent acts. She was not a warrior, but it was not uncommon for dog demon women to fight. This made himself think as to what made her want to interfere in Sesshomaru's battle.

The only reason why Sesshomaru was interested in this was because of Rin's personal safety; Masato was after her - intending to make her his mate. But that was not going to happen. Which was then Sesshomaru realized that he would have to claim her soon; the courting rituals be damned. But he had a distinct feeling that Rin would want a ceremony. And asking her when she woke up was out of the question. She had yet to submit to him as her future mate. Smelling her arousal at times was not enough for Sesshomaru to make a move. He wanted to hear her say she loved him.. he wanted to hear her say his name..

Love was still an emotion that was complex for him to comprehend; but he knew that he had the potential to eventually feel it toward her.. He had strong enough feelings for Rin: that was all that he could ever make of them. But now was not the time to substantiate the difference between want and need. He needed her by his side. He wanted her badly. Yet he would wait. He was raised to have honour and respect.

"Lord Sesshomaru?" An angel's voice - his angel's voice - called out to him quietly, causing him to break out of his reverie or a midlife epiphany.

He stared into her chocolate eyes, filled with an emotion that could not be expressed.. He noticed how close she was to his face - her lips were slightly open, her tongue flickering out to lick her dry lips - waiting for his response in heavy anticipation. He could also detect a heavy blush erupting to her cheeks, but Sesshomaru paid little attention to this. He was staring into the eyes, which were sparkling with desire, that had been the sure sign that he had ressurected her.

He raised his right hand and caressed her cheek, and subconsciously, Rin leaned into his rare form of embrace. She then placed her own small hand on top of his, welcoming it. "Good morning, Lord Sesshomaru," Rin greeted happily, enjoying his touch. Was it wrong to enjoy it?

"This Sesshomaru wishes to know why you are up this early."

"Maybe I am a morning person," Rin smiled boldly, leaning in closer to him - her hair cascading around the both of them, preventing any outsider to see their close contact.

Sesshomaru was surprised of her sudden confidence; he was not aware how bold she had become.. yet it clearly left an impression on his body.

_**Kiss her.. **_

Sesshomaru was tempted to listen to his beast's demands; seeing as Rin was unaware of their current situation. But he had seen her blush in embarrassment moments ago, and now she had grown bolder and less afraid. Maybe she was asking for it..

He licked his lips in appreciation, unconsciously aware that he did so, as he looked from her lips to her watchful gaze.

"Do you trust this Sesshomaru?" He asked huskily, using his other hand to wrap around her waist to bring her closer to him. She accidently grazed his nose with her own, her blush presenting itself slowly upon her celestial facial features.

"I trust you." Sesshomaru could not detect any lies - only pure, genuine honesty.

That was when he made his move. His hand remained on her cheek, pleased that it felt smooth... Their eyes - gold adoringly gazing into melted chocolate - never broke contact.. Rin started to get the idea of his intentions: she was not about to fight against him.. she knew that she wanted this. She closed her eyes, as their lips brushed against each other softly. Rin could feel his breath against them, before he swiftly captured her lips with his own.

Rin's heart beat against her chest slowly, as she felt her face burn up with disbelief and passion. She was kissing Lord Sesshomaru.. It was not a dream, she told herself. It was a reality. But she felt happy that she was allowed to return the kiss with as much adoration and gentleness; She thought that someone like Lord Sesshomaru would take her lips savagely. But he was being surprisingly patient and soft with her.. His lips moved against her own in a passionate dance. His arm tightened around her waste, as he started to quicken the rate of the kiss. Each time that he did, Rin's heartbeat quickened and pounded like thunder.

Shots of pleasure and happiness ran through her body; she moaned as her hands went straight to his head - gripping his head tightly. They immediately lowered themselves down to his cheeks; she gently rubbed her fingers over the magenta markings. She then heard a deep rumbling in his throat and she could only guess that he was responding the same way that she was.

She thought that she was in heaven when he kissed her that compassionately. Her opinion on the matter changed, when she felt his lips remove themselves from her own and latched themselves to her neck. Rin groaned, holding Sesshomaru closer to her body; she tilted her head to the side - unknowingly giving him submission. He smiled for a small moment, as he continued to kiss and nip at her neck. He made sure his tongue was to trail downward to her collarbone, placing hot, open mouth kisses on her skin... She tasted even better than Sesshomaru could even have hoped.. She tasted like wild lillies, and rain.. Then he knew that she was meant for him.

"Lord.. Lord Sesshomaru," Rin breathed out, but it managed to come out as a whisper. He only kissed her and that made her plain out exhausted.

Sesshomaru froze; he widened his eyes and he stopped breathing for a moment. He could feel his hands against the covered backside of the woman he planned to take.. He could feel his body still responding to the natural reaction of Rin's.

He nearly lost control; he nearly gave into his beast's demands. Because of that.. he could have taken her like a wild beast.

"Lord Sesshomaru?"

He pulled away, but he did not avoid eye contact. "Rin. We cannot continue."

He could tell that she was tired, and flushed from their recent endeavor. Her heartbeat was pacing rapidly; he knew that she did want to continue, but merely out of desire and lust.

"I have not finished courting you and.. there are matters that need to be taken care of."

A flash of disappointment and pain flushed over Rin's face, but disappeared after a few minutes. She bit her lower lip and kept her eyes trained on Sessshomaru. "There is only you, Lord Sesshomaru."

He leaned his forehead against Rin's; his hot breath tainting her skin.. "I know."

Before Rin could open her eyes again, he left; he left her lying on his king-sized futon. Alone. But Rin did not think too much of it; after all, she believed that he would come back to her. She grinned; thinking of the passion that she just experienced. She had never felt so.. comfortable, relaxed and well.. taken care of before. Rin did not know how she could word it. it was like he was bringing out a different side out of her; Rin could still feel his warm lips caress her own..

She definitely could not go back to sleep; though dreaming of a certain Lord would not be a bad thing.

**:3 :3 :3**

"Sesshomaru, we have matters to discuss," was the first thing that was said to him when he entered his private office.

"I am aware, Mother," He replied coldly, taking a seat across from the being that raised him to be royalty.

She pouted, not liking the way that he was treating her so, but she knew now was not the case to start rambling on about how her only child was treating her like an unworthy servant. "What are you planning to do about Masato?"

"You know him?" Sesshomaru raised an ivory eyebrow, a little astonished. He had been told that his mother did not get herself involved with the conflict, but he figured now it was a lie.

"But of course, Sesshomaru. We have met in the past, after all. Shame though that he had come to visit more often than you have." Sesshomaru ignored that last comment.

"But I am no fool. I do not trust him. Neither should you."

"What makes you believe that a pathetic raven can gain my trust?"

Sessmom smiled, as though she knew something that her son did not. "I am proud to say you are my son, Sesshomaru. You are still the smart little boy I have had the pleasure of raising."

"But be warned; he is after your intended," with a serious, cold expression that could match Sesshomaru's, all joking and teasing was put aside.

"I am not ignorant. I am fully aware what he is planning to do."

"Her safety can be assured if you marry her sooner." Sessmom paused, noticing the bleak look on his pale, snow white face. "I am only saying this to ensure Rin is kept safe. You know better than I that he cannot claim her if you have already done so."

"Do not remind me of the traditions, Mother."

"Then do something about it," Sessmom spat out viciously. But her feral expression faded very quickly. She smiled weakly. "If not for the sake of Rin, do it for the sake of your pups."

"I have not completed the courting ritual."

"That does not stop someone such as you, Sesshomaru. You have been after supreme conquest for far too long; this should be a sinch for you."

"Why are you getting involved?" Sesshomaru asked bluntly, but sounded more like a demand than a simple question. Sessmom simply raised an eyebrow, but did not seem to be astonished of her son's sudden behavior. He was never one to act like a brat, since he was taught better than that, but there were times when he was stubborn enough to appear as such.

"I am the Lady, Sesshomaru. I must get involved - if I want to or not." Unfortunately, her true intentions were not revealed. That was all that she would say.

"And the ruler of the East? He is getting involved?"

"It is.. difficult to say where he stands. I have never met him, after all."

"Do you know when he has come into power?"

Sessmom merely shrugged her shoulders. "I am not sure. But all I do know is that he is coming."

Sesshomaru appeared not to be effected by this news. "When must I expect his arrival?"

"Within the next few days."

"Why was I not informed?"

"It is nothing for you to worry about; let your dear old mother handle this."

Even Sesshomaru did not think that any good could come from her words.

**:3 :3 :3**

**There you go: Rin and Sesshomaru kissed! Happy now? :)**

**Let me know what you think! :D**


	13. The Stalker's Death Wish

**Lots of positive reviews- like always :) Thank you goes out to...**

**- ****Moonlight Mermaid**: Darn right! Let's just say that Sessmom gets her own action scene. I think.. Maybe.. not sure yet. Thanks for your review :)

- **Deadman19:** Thank you very much - I tried very hard to make it sound dreamy and cute :D

- **icegirljenni**: I wanted to scream that to his face too! I mean, does he want Rin to get captured by creepy Masato? Apparently he does.. Sesshomaru should not sit on his royal butt and do nothing. If he wants to be with Rin, he better be a momma's boy for once and do what he's told. LOL.

- **pammazola**: Yeah, you pretty much said this three hundred times. JK! :) I actually didn't mean to bring the fan-girl out in you; though your compliment means a lot! :D And yes, there will be more kisses :D

**Chapter 12**

It had been three days. It had been three days since Sesshomaru had kissed her; Rin was sure that he would come back for her, but he did not. To be perfectly honest, she felt.. worried and paranoid. Maybe he did not love her.. maybe he only intended to use her selfishly..

There had been no word from the occupants of the castle; no one went into Sesshomaru's chambers and personally informed her of his current assignments. But Rin prayed every moment that Lord Sesshomaru himself went to see her. She prayed that he was alright. Rin wouldn't know what she would do if he had died.. she admitted that she could not live without him. He was her life: without him, she may as well die already.

His touches on her fair skin, the light scrape of his demon claws causing shivers of delight to run down her spine, and his scorching hot lips claiming her own... Rin felt euphoric - it was like she was living a dream when he was around her..

But there were thoughts that weren't from a dream; Rin hoped, secretly hoped, that she could have a life with him. But there were quite a few differences that separated the two of them. For one, he was a demon lord - he would be required to marry a demon woman: someone that Rin was not. She was merely human, and their relationship.. would be frowned upon. Most would call it disgusting and an embarrassment. If Rin and Lord Sesshomaru were to have any children.. Rin blushed; already, she was thinking of perverse thoughts. She had not been intimate with Sesshomaru - and she was already thinking that they could have half-demon children.

Rin knew how Sesshomaru felt about them; they.. were abominations in his eyes. They were worthless. They were beyond disappointment. They did not deserve to live in Lord Sesshomaru's eyes.

Rin's eyes watered; how did he feel about her? What if.. she had gotten impregnated? Would.. would he disown her? Would he refuse to be in contact with her? She was just a human after all...

She knew that she wanted children; she had yearned to care and love them. They were innocent and adorable.. those children - that she had seen in Lady Kaede's village - had reminded her of herself when she was a child. She was always.. enthusiastic and angelic. But she never stayed out of trouble; there was always something that pulled her into danger. But there was always someone to get her back.

A childhood memory of Lord Sesshomaru glancing into her eyes with concern and adoration, and she could still feel his cool hand against her cheek lovingly - reassuringly. But that was so long ago.. she remembered it being dark, but she woke up: the first thing she saw was Lord Sesshomaru. He cared for her, and he still did: how could she start doubting herself? If he wasn't there with her..

This only meant one thing; Rin had strong, emotional feelings for him. She knew they were beyond adoration.. She was in love with him.

"Rin."

Rin's tears started to rain down her cheeks; how could she hope to tell him.. how she felt? Would her Lord Sesshomaru.. reject her for feeling this way? What would he think of the concept of love?

She then felt tenacious, warm arms surround her.. enveloping her in a protective, caring embrace. She then felt her hair being swept to the side, and lips kiss her neck passionately and gently. Rin moaned, as his breath tickled her skin.

"Why," He kissed her again. "are you crying?" Sesshomaru whispered, his hands softly massaging her skin.

"I. was scared," Rin admitted, tears raining down her cheeks. "I thought something happened to you."

She felt his arms twist her around, non too gently, to meet his eyes - filled with emotion and concern. His hands tightly held on to her waist, pulling her into his embrace.

"Do not concern yourself with such trivial things."

"Your safety is not trivial, my lord," Rin whimpered, staring into his golden eyes with sadness and anxiety. Her skin was pale, and her own eyes were filled with tears...

That was then he wiped away her tears softly and compassionately with both of his hands; he was careful enough to not let his claws scratch her by incident. "Do not cry, Rin. Save your tears for more important things."

"You are important to me," Rin confessed, before leaning in to kiss him. He responded to it immediately, the kiss becoming feverish and passionate. Both of their hearts beat hypersonically, as Rin's hands fled straight to his cheeks - cupping them in her hands gently. She traced the magenta markings with her fingers, still captivated by them. Sesshomaru's hands lowered to her neck before making their way to her upper back. Rin moaned into the kiss, as his own lips moved perfectly with her own. She pulled away, feeling slightly out of breath. She panted as she leaned her forehead against Sesshomaru's chest. "You are my life, Lord Sesshomaru."

"You are mine," Sesshomaru growled huskily, boldly claiming Rin's lips in a fierce and possessive kiss. His hands lowered down to her backside and stayed there, holding onto it possessively. But they were not confined to simply sit still: they roamed all over her curvaceous butt in a rough manner, but dared not to hurt her. Rin groaned. She dared not to argue against Lord Sesshomaru if he was to say that she belonged to him. Even though Rin was a human being, and should be treated as such, she was not sure if exclaiming to her lord that she belonged to no one would be a good idea. She had to admit though that Rin could only ever love Lord Sesshomaru. No human boy could ever make her feel this way.

"What will happen now?" Rin asked quietly, a few moments after Sesshomaru broke the kiss.

"Your safety is of the utmost importance," Sesshomaru growled against her neck, before nipping lightly. "Masato will not touch you."

"I.. I think that I have seen him again last night," Rin said.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes angrily, but did not interrupt Rin. "I tried to call out to you, Lord Sesshomaru, but.. I got frightened." Rin knew that it was Masato who had been stalking her as of recently; he terrified her too much - and left her mute, unable to scream in terror. When she had spotten him outside of the balcony door the first night, she did not hesitate to call out for Lord Sesshomaru. But this ended when she had seen Masato once more each night.

"He will be dealt with," Sesshomaru kissed her on the forehead, also inhaling the addictive scent coming from her hair. He would never tire himself of that.

"Is.. is there something you need, Lord Sesshomaru?"

"Rin. We must finish the courtship."

Rin had a vague idea what that meant; she had little knowledge on marriage and.. the consummation of it. She started to feel her cheeks flush in mortification; she never had thoughts about that. After all, she had always remained pure and innocent: maybe too naive.

"Courtship?"

"Marriage," Sesshomaru growled huskily, once again attaching his lips to her temple smoothly. He did not think that she would decline his proposal at this stage - she accepted his court offerings throughout the time he tried to romance her. He knew that she would not toy with him. She loved him; he could smell it.

"M-marriage?" Rin squeaked nervously. "Is.. isn't that too soon?"

Sesshomaru pulled back; his crysal eyes staring intently into hers. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes."

"The arrangements are being made as we speak." Rin could tell that there was more that he wanted to tell her; but did she detect fear and anxiety in his eyes? What was it that he planned to tell her?

"What is it?" Rin asked quietly, caressing her hand against his cheek - letting it cup his cheek for a few moments.

"I must leave. He will be dealt with," Sesshomaru replied. But to Rin, it sounded as though he was scared. Scared of what could possibly happen.

She enveloped him in another hug; not one that was to bring out any desires from either of them, but to provide comfort and dare she admit love to him. She wrapped her arms around his torso, but did not tighten her hold on him. She laid her head on his chest - hearing his heartbeat, which also provided her alleviation. "Please don't leave me," She whispered, having high hopes that she could be able to convince him that she was only safe when he was around.

"Rin. I have to go. It is for your own sake." He sounded incredibly patient with her, which made it more frustrating for Rin. Did he not care?

"If you care about me," Rin whimpered - feeling tears start to form in her eyes, "you must stay. Please. I need you."

"I will return for you. Do not make assumptions that I do not feel." Rin felt her heart skip a beat; he said he would return for her. He said that he cared for her.. That was all that Rin needed to hear. She never thought that Lord Sesshomaru was a liar - nor would he stretch the truth. So she believed him when he said these things.

Rin pulled him into a desperate, needy, rushed kiss: filled with as much passion and adoration that she held for Lord Sesshomaru. She pulled away after a few minutes passed slowly. "Please come back." And the sudden need to say three very important words rattled in the back of her throat. But she couldn't say them. No matter how much she wanted to, she stayed silent and praying - praying that her future husband would come back to her alive.

**:3 :3 :3**

"Where is she?" Sessmom asked wearily, not feeling entirely up to demanding. After all, her only son had left her - and his future wife - all alone in the castle; caring that she may be for her son, dramatic she was not.She had not seen her son in many years, which caused a huge blow to her pride. She was the one who raised him - not Inutaisho. She was the one that shaped him into the fine, proud, intelligent demon ruler that he was. Not Inutaisho: someone who did not interfere in his child's upbringing until he reached puberty. It was around that time when Inutaisho had taken.. a human as a mate.

Sessmom did not love Inutaisho as she once did; knowing that the only reason for their marriage was to produce an heir. Sesshomaru was the product, and Sessmom could not be even more proud of him.

But she was not surprised that Inutaisho had done this; she was well aware of his compassionate personality. He was not arrogant or blinded with power or selfishness. But what did it matter if Inutaisho chose to die for a mortal woman and a half-breed son? It was no concern of hers.

Was she surprised that Sesshomaru chose a human girl for a mate? No. She was not in the least bit shocked. Ever since he was born, Sessmom had the distinct realization that he will be like his father in one way or another - since Sesshomaru had the looks of her. No matter how much influence she tried to force upon in her son's life, Inutaisho had somehow forced Sesshomaru to see that loving humans was not a mistake. But Sessmom also taught him compassion: she remembered when he came to her in hopes of making his Tenseiga stronger. That would be the only time when Sessmom would remember seeing her son look.. upset. Granted that word was an understatement as to what he actually felt.

"In his chambers, Lady Mother," Jaken bowed low to the ground, in hopes to not place himself in harm's way. In other words, not being subjugated to Sessmom's wrath, which she no doubt passed onto Lord Sesshomaru.

"Thank you, little demon."And she left Jaken alive - not broken, not bruised (not even in ego) - and alone.

She proceeded into Sesshomaru's private bedroom, seeing the woman - that was soon to become her daughter-in-law - sitting on a cushion drinking hot tea. Rin did not seem to notice Sessmom's presence; she merely looked blankly in her direction before taking another sip.

Sessmom pursed her lips in disapproval. This human could not hope to rule the Western Lands with her son if she acted with disrespect toward her. But that was not the point that she was going to make. Though she was curious if the girl was taught proper etiquette.

"Lady Mother," Rin greeted wearily, bowing her head low in what she was sure was honour and respect.

"Lady Rin," Sessmom greeted in return, trying to sound welcome and warm.

Sessmom did not 'despise' humans, as did her son, but that did not mean that she thought of humans as useful creatures. She tended to stay away from them; she had no problems with them at all, but if they were to disrupt her peace, then she would have no choice but to exact revenge upon them.

She had to admit though that Rin was a very beautiful woman; with eyes as dark as auburn, hair pin-straight and silky chocolate, and skin as white as snow, there was no doubt that she was worthy enough in Sesshomaru's eyes.

No doubt that she was courageous; she was aware that Rin was in the presence of Sesshomaru for many years - regardless of the racial factors separating them. Sessmom indeed gave credit to this girl who did not care about what her own kind thought of her relationship with her son. The prejudices that Sessmom held for human kind had disappeared; she knew that she could not judge other species - only on their character.

"Lord Sesshomaru has left."

"I know this. But I did not come to talk to him. I have come to talk to you." And so, without any protest coming from the girl, Sessmom sat down across from Rin.

"You are aware that the courtship between you and my son is being rushed."

"Yes, Lady Mother."

"I have taken it upon myself to arrange the ceremony," Sessmom smiled proudly. "After all, I have been worrying sick about him; I thought this time would never come."

"When is the date for our ceremony?" Rin inquired, sipping her tea.

"Once my son comes back, the preperations will be complete."

Rin widened her eyes; she realized that she must be married to him quickly, but never was she told that within days Lord Sesshomaru would be ready to marry her. But would Rin herself be ready?

"You have known this, have you not?" Sessmom raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"No, Lady Mother."

Sessmom smiled. "Come now. We will be family soon; you may as well start calling me Mother."

"Alright. Mother," Rin tested out the new name - wanting to see if it felt right calling Lord Sesshomaru's mother Mother. But she knew she would have to get used to it; if she did not listen to Sessmom, she had no idea how she would react. She had a feeling that she must stay on her good side. Rin did not think that Sesshomaru inherited his cold, cruel personality from his father.

"Delightful!" Sessmom nodded in approval. "Once you two are married, there is one other task that you must do."

"What is it, Mother?"

"I would like some grandchildren."

**:3 :3 :3**

After a long hour of discussions between Sessmom and Rin, Rin took it upon herself to find peace of mind resting. She was horribly embarrassed of Sessmom's request; reproducing. Sure, Rin did want to have little ones of her own, but what would Lord Sesshomaru want? Would he.. be alright if Rin bore him half-demon children? She hoped that he would not mind. Once again, she had to think why he despised half-demons so much? Was it because his father mated with a human and bore him one? Or was it more of a racial thing toward humans?

Rin shook her head, tightening her hold on the multiple silk blankets that protected her from the cold temperature of the room. She was not going to trouble herself with this now. What mattered was whether or not Lord Sesshomaru was safe.

She had heard that he went to the Eastern Lands to meet the new ruler, who invited him one day ago. Rin had no knowledge of politics, but she had a horrible feeling that something dire was about to happen. But she figured that she was merely being paranoid, since the debacle with Masato days ago.

The moon seeped through the window, its luminant light shining through the curtains to cast a celestial shadow within the room. It was the only light, and without it, the room would be entirely dark. Even though it seemed peaceful outside, Rin could not help but feel scared. It was stupid of her to act in such a way, she told herself, but she could not help it. She always wondered if Masato was going to appear before her once again.

Rin was not doubting the castle's security; Masato would not be welcome in these walls. But why did this not make her feel better?

While she was keeping silent to her own thoughts, she did not notice a shadow creeping toward her with dark intentions. Her heart nearly leaped out of her chest, and wanted to scream for help when she felt a heavy hand - not gentle at all - break off her air supply through her mouth. Of course Rin did not take it well when she was being frightened this way; she tried to fight back. She tried to claw at this person, but within moments.. she found herself falling to sleep..

**:3 :3 :3**

Masato grinned cleverly, finally pleased with himself after many days of failures and days of advanced planning. She was his - and no one could do a thing about it.

The plan was to distract Sesshomaru, with a 'meeting' arranged with the Eastern Lord. But Sesshomaru was foolish; foolish enough to walk into Masato's trap..

Masato smirked; since it would become fairly obvious that Sesshomaru would find himself occupied for a while, but in his own opinion completely incompacitated to do otherwise, Masato would take it upon himself to take the woman of his desire.

He had no choice but to kidnap her; he wanted to convince her entirely that Sesshomaru cared for no one but himself and the lands that he ruled over. But the girl had not listened to him; she had shown bravery, courage and loyalty toward him - which did not suit well with Masato. He was also quite feisty in terms of personal wants and needs; he would not give up on something that he had shown interest in. The girl was someone that he coveted.

She was to be his mate. No one else's.

The mutt will soon pay the price.

**:3 :3 :3**

**How did you guys like this chapter? I've added more Sesshomaru and Rin in it to keep you guys satisfied for a while. **

**And so now we have Sessmom wanting Rin to have children (not afraid of expressing it clearly in their discussion), Sesshomaru walking into Masato's trap unintentionally and Masato kidnapping Rin. Oh, my!**

**What will Sesshomaru do when he finds out?.. (sighs) okay, we all know what's going to happen. Sesshomaru is going to lose his cool. Big time.**

**So please, do review! :)**


	14. The Lynx's Embarassment

**So I got a review concerning last chapter; what the heck was Sessmom doing while Rin was kidnapped? To be honest, I haven't really thought about that.. so this chapter is partly revolving around Sessmom's perspective during the time of the alleged kidnapping. **

**And boy.. did I ever receive such hate-on for Masato? LOL. At this point, he's just annoying and creepy, right?**

**Thank you goes out to...**

**- ****Monochrome666**: Don't worry about Sesshomaru; he's not dumb enough to fall into Masato's trap willingly! Thank you for reviewing :)

- **icegirljenni**: I'll agree with you on that; in some stories, the author writes her as a complete *****: when really, she likes to play the theatrics around her son. :P And as for the security around the palace, well, you'll see what is going on this chapter :)

- **pammazola**: Yeah, Sesshomaru can act like an arrogant bastard to anyone else but as a total sweetie to Rin. ^_^ Yes, really Masato? Kidnapping Rin is a really stupid idea; because let's face it, Sesshomaru will kill you - regardless what you might think. Idiot. Thank you for reviewing :)

- **Moonlight Mermaid**: But he was told by his mother that a messenger told her that the new leader of the East wanted to see him! How could he possibly think it's a trap? LOL! And who else is gonna save Rin? :P But thank you for your review :D

**Chapter 13**

"What is it?" Sessmom asked, raising her eyebrows in curiosity and her golden eyes filled with suspicion as she was interrupted by the little demon, squawking at her for a few moments trying to capture her attention.

She was more than displeased by the current situation; though she did not need as much sleep as humans, she enjoyed relaxing for hours without annoyances of any kind. She planned to rest and be comforted - knowing that Sesshomaru would finally have a mate and heirs would be on the way. Sessmom's life could not be anymore perfect. Until her son's less than welcome demon ward had rudely awakened her. In the night, no less. She would have to talk to her son; after all, she would not possibly be the only one who was at an inconvenience.

"Excuse me, Honorable Mother, but the Panther Demon tribe is back and they want to speak to you," Jaken squawked, his words jumbling - barely understandable to even Sessmom's standards of language study.

"You have let them in?" Sessmom said cooly.

"N-no, Honorable Mother! T-they are just w-waiting outside," Jaken widened his eyes in extreme fear, completely intimidated by her icy expression. Lord Sesshomaru didn't get his cold demeanor from his father after all.

"Tell those miscreants that I will arrive shortly," Sessmom flickered her hand, dismissing Jaken from the room.

Jaken pouted, doing as the lady commanded. But would it not hurt if she called him by his rightful name instead of 'little demon'? It seemed like she only saw him as dirt beneath her polished boots. Once again, her arrogance can be perfectly compared to Lord Sesshomaru; he had only tried to be as devoteful and loyal as possible, but in all honesty, it seemed as though he wasn't worth much in their eyes. **(1) **

His mother was right; he should have been a ferryman. **(2)**

**:3 :3 :3**

Sessmom never particulary had much patience with the panther demon tribe. But this was because she had been raised in a well to do society that planted mischievous, dramatic ideas into their heirs' minds about other cultures and teach them that there was only one way to live. Her mother was sophisticated and elegant - and took Court seriously as one might. Evena little too seriously; and one could imagine where Sessmom had inherited her infamous ability to act much less 'mature'. Her father was a strong ruler but was not far intelligent enough to notice that his wife was planning to overthrow him. With a revenge-stricken mother and an incompetent father, it was difficult to say where she inherited her present personality.

Though her mother was fairly strict, she was an excellent teacher. She taught Sessmom to trust no one. She taught her how to be cunning and mysterious. She taught her how to be strong and how to fend for herself, and for her future heirs. She explained to her of the separate lands, the rulers and their methods of ruling each one successfully. She taught her the history of the lands, the economy of each, etc. And she had especially taught her only daughter to despise the panthers - which had wreaked havoc and caused trouble for their family for centuries.

Even now Sessmom did not feel angry; she only felt annoyed if someone was to interrupt her. She would not get angry unless someone really tried to test her patience, which was a rare sight to behold. Not even her own son had seen her lose her temper; which anyone could possibly guess was where Sesshomaru had gotten his cool demeanor.

"What do you want, panthers? You have interrupted my beauty sleep," Sessmom yawned, her voice filled with next to no annoyance or any other emotion for that matter.

The moon luminated the land, but did not bring the cowardly cats out of their hiding places. It was as though they were willing to sign their own death warrants, but they were not wanting to die in person. Cats did not make good decisions; they were stupid and a waste of time, in Sessmom's opinion.

"I am so sorry to hear that; but I was hoping that we could talk."

"Touran."

The panther woman grinned, as though she was pleased that the Honourable Mother of Sesshomaru had remembered her. In her case, she would not remember anyone that was not worth talking to, which was most of the inhabitants of all the lands. Yet all it took was a bitter rivalry between the two clans to make Sessmom remember. "It has been a while. How long has it been? Three hundred years?"

"I doubt you are here to recall the last time you have cowered from the battlefield," Sessmom said simply, taken Touran by surprise - but did not show it. Instead, she chuckled in amusement like she was not going to take Sessmom's insult as an insult.

"You are right. The reason I have come here revolves around your son."

Sessmom's facial expression did not change. "If you wanted to speak to him, he is gone. The new Eastern leader wanted to speak to him." As she explained to Touran of her son's whereabouts, she noticed the cunning and clever look on her face; she could see it most in her icy blue eyes. Now Sessmom started to feel suspicious; what did this panther woman know that she did not?

"You are out of it. But I do not not blame you; you just want a quiet life, correct?"

It was true that Sessmom had severed herself from the life in the Western Lands where there had been nothing but hectic and extremely unsatisfying battles, and the fact that she would have been so busy trying to take care of political matters from other lands. It was annoying that there were many proposals every day; it was as though some people could not take Sessmom's answer seriously.

"What are you implying?"

"Be warned, Lady of Middle Lands; you may want to pay more attention to your son and his.. chosen one." Sessmom's eyes glowed in the dark, widening slightly in curiosity.

Sessmom was once part of the Middle Land clan - which were small and fairly easy to rule no question; but after her marriage to Inutaisho, she had been in the Western Lands for permanent residence. But once their marriage had only one purpose, was to reproduce a son, there was no need for it any longer. But she was to raise Sesshomaru until he reached adulthood - meaning that she was free to leave the arrangement. But since then, Sessmom had no other children or any other potential mates asking for her hand.

"How kind of you to tell me this," Sessmom said sarcastically, her voice filled with hidden hatred. "But I do not take advice from cretins such as yourself."

Touran crossed her arms and laughed arrogantly. "If you do not believe me, it is your own loss. As well as Sesshomaru's."

"Interfere in these matters again, and I will not hesitate to kill you," Sessmom growled viciously, baring her teeth in warning.

"Why is it that we must resort to violence?" Touran frowned. "You dogs are bloodthirsty." Sessmom ignored the last comment.

"But I am not the one that you want to kill."

Sessmom raised an eyebrow skeptically. "Oh? Does the cat know something that I do not?"

"Masato is after her, but I can imagine that you already know that." As soon as Masato's name - the wretch - was mentioned, Sessmom's facial expression turned into a vague, emotionless one. It was unreadable and next to no one could tell whatever she was thinking.

"What would someone like you know Masato?" Sessmom inquired.

"We have been... acquaintences for some time. How we have met is none of your concern." This was indeed a lie; the panther tribe had co-existed with the raven clan for five hundred years, but it was only because they each had their own quarrel with the dog demons. They had been allies for some time since there were no issues in loyalty and honesty. They had grown stronger as a result of the union. The ravens were given protection in the East in return for their services to the panthers. Once again, in order to gain power, the ravens had done as they were told - though they were clever enough to realize that they may be used for manipulation for the panthers.

"If you know his whereabouts, please share," Sessmom could care less about their past history; all she wanted was the important information - where Masato was. In order for her son and her future daughter to be safe, as well as carrying pups in the future, Masato must be dealt with in immediate action.

"I would tell you, but.. revealing such information would defile my reputation," Touran smirked.

"What a coward," Sessmom scoffed. "This means you are hiding that wretch on your lands."

"I cannot say anything more to you."

"You mean to betray him?" Sessmom demanded.

"Again, this is not your concern. If I were you, I would worry about the mortal." Without any further conversation, the panther simply turned around and left - with a satisfied smile planted on her lips. The plan was set in motion.

**:3 :3 :3**

"Lord Sesshomaru, it is truly an honour to meet you." Sesshomaru doubted those words, which came swiftly out of the lynx demon's mouth without any genuine tone. It mean that the ruler of the East was not overjoyed to see him. The honour was not Sesshomaru's and it was not the lynx's. It became clear that neither of them wanted to meet, yet Sesshomaru decided to get this meeting over with. There was only reason for it to take place. An alliance to join the two lands together using the lynx's daughter to become his wife.

That would simply not happen; not only did he despise cats - of any species - but he already had a woman in mind. Second of all, he never joined any alliances; he never had the luxury of allies. Sesshomaru was powerful as he was, and never needed help or wanted it in certain circumstances. He always knew that he had enemies that would trick him into such a situation and to then kill him to gain dominance, wealth, presitiege. Trust was not something that Sesshomaru had handed out.

"Lord Liko. What is the purpose of this meeting?" Sesshomaru demanded. In his own opinion, he would rather be with Rin - and make love to her over and over again, and claim her as his mate. But the matter of Masato must be cleared up before he could finish the courting. And once again he realized that he had to marry her to end it. This was a situation that Sesshomaru never thought that he would find himself in.

"I have heard of your power," Lord Liko licked his lips. "It is truly amazing that someone such as you can defeat your enemies with one hit."

Sesshomaru knew then that this demon was interested in his power alone - and he would be willing to compliment him in order for him to join the East. The offers of an alliance would never decline; as long as Sesshomaru was still in power, there were going to be rulers that were interested in him.

"If my reason for being here is to merely hear your proposal, you waste my time as well as your own. Unnecessary alliances do not interest me," Sesshomaru said calmly and cooly, though his frustration for the situation was hard for him to remain calm and collected.

Lord Liko narrowed his chocolate eyes in anger - furious that Lord Sesshomaru dared to refuse his offer. He was embarrassed; he had hoped that his persuasion methods would make Sesshomaru come around. But he now knew that he was not able to convince him to join anything. "Lord Sesshomaru, please be more reasonable."

"I have been reasonable. You have yet to offer me something that I wish."

Lord Liko could not help but picture the human mortal that he had heard from recent gossip that had captured the demon lord's heart. This disgusted the lynx ruler; he despised humans with a passion. They were vermin and had no useful purpose. Now that he learned that the great, wise, powerful Lord Sesshomaru had fallen for a wench - who had no doubt cast a spell on him - this angered him. No women that Liko could offer would ever make Sesshomaru accept.

"We are done," Sesshomaru stated simply before leaving the lynx to wallow in his disappointment.

**:3 :3 :3**

When Rin had awaken, she noticed two things. One, she had been kidnapped - taken away from her Lord Sesshomaru and two, she was lost.. the darkness had frightened her. She was never used to the abyss of eternal dark unless she was with her lord. But now she was not.

She would cry out for him to help her, but her throat was dry and sore. Her head trembled with unspeakable pain and agony; it hurt her too much to think and to try to scream out. She was left mute.

Rin could not help but let tears run down her cheeks; though she could not cry, she could do it in silence. Rin was used to being the quiet girl that could not speak - especially she had inherited this trait ever since she had lost her parents to bandits.

The ache in her head increased, as did the pain in her legs. She could not move. She was trapped. Rin did not know where, since her human senses lacked the accuracy and perfection of her lord's.

She wished with her heart and soul that Lord Sesshomaru would come for her. But he did not. No matter how many times she silently prayed for him to come.. he did not.

It was hopeless... It was pathetic really. To be quite honest, it was more than ironic. After all, Rin had told herself that she put herself into these situations more than once...

Why did she allow herself her heart to be broken moment after moment, realizing that he was not coming to save her?

This time was different; Lord Sesshomaru was more than a man.. Rin knew that he had a heart. Rin had a far away feeling that he cared for her intimately.. But how could she be with him? She couldn't be with the man that she truly, truly, truly loved...

It was cruel that time and age had separated them. But it was a reminder that she could not be with him... Yet Rin did not want to listen to the horrible voices in her mind, telling her these lies. She could not hope to lie to herself that she may not see Lord Sesshomaru ever again.

Tears of heartbroken agony cascaded down her cheeks - her eyes were bloodshot red..

_No.. I cannot do this anymore.. I cannot. _

Rin shook her head. She was not going to fall into the darkness. She was not going to allow anyone taint her with lies about her Lord. She was completely faithful to him... Her heart was yearning for him as did her mind. She could not let him go - no matter if anyone begged her to let him be.

She belonged to him: her heart had always belonged to Lord Sesshomaru. No one would change that. Not even Masato.

She then decided that she was not going to co-operate with Masato; she was aware that he was covetting her. She remembered seeing the lust in his eyes when she first met him.. Shivers ran down her spine. Rin hoped that Lord Sesshomaru would come for her soon.

She sincerely hoped that he would find her; she wanted to declare her love for him - passionately and filled with so much sentimentality. She did not know if he would answer her.. She wished for him to be by her side..

She wanted to hear him call out to her.. Hearing his voice would calm her down immensely. Simply imagining it would not do.

_Will I ever see you again, Lord Sesshomaru? _Was her final thought before closing her eyes, picturing him in her mind.. as long as she could see him in her sleep.. she thought that she would be strong. She thought that she would be alright. But she found herself lost in the darkness; she would always will be if no one could hear her, see her or simply notice that she was gone.

**:3 :3 :3**

**Ugh. I apologize for the late update. I actually have a genuine excuse. I went to the dentist, and I learned that I have to go back in two times to get FILLINGS done. UGH! Why can't I floss like a good girl? LOL. And for the record, The Avengers is the best movie EVAH! Hello, Chris Hemsworth with long hair, and Robert Downy Jr. with his witty, smart-ass remarks and AGENT COULSON! I like Agent Coulson. LOL. **

**1) OH, poor Jaken: stop feeling sorry for yourself! You are Sesshomaru's servant! But in truth though, you are kind of annoying. :P**

**2) Ha, ha; I just remembered one episode where Jaken thinks to himself that he should have listened to Momma. Momma knows what's best! :P **

**Anyways, please review! I promise to update soon :)**


	15. Love To Protect

**Here's the thing folks; I've planned out the rest of the story and it's six or so more chapters. 0_0 I know- I know- the end is near! There is going to be 20 chapters over-all and there may be an epilogue ;) (HINT HINT!) **

**Thank you goes out to...**

**- ****ajmonkeygirl99**: Don't call yourself an idiot, honey; if anything, I should be the idiot for not updating sooner for you :) LOL. I want you to stay sane and happy! ^_^ Thank you for reviewing :)

- **icegirljenni**: Hmm.. I never thought of it that way; in the anime, I always figure that Sesshomaru treats him like that because he's annoying :P LOL. The Lord of the East was only a convenient distraction; he probably won't show up again :P. And yes, he deserved getting rejected - no matter how much sucking up he gives to the lord. Seriously, you want to test Sesshomaru's patience? XP he he. Touran and Masato WILL indeed pay... (SPOILER ALERT!) and Rin will be reunited with Sesshomaru soon! Thanks for reviewing like always girl! ^_^

- **Moonlight Mermaid**: Thank you so much (you're making me blush, LOL). Run, Sesshomaru, Run! (See what I did there? No? Anyways...) Rin loves you and you love her! Go into her arms and save her! ^_^

- **samy-sama**: Just for the record, I love your name. It is so adorable! :) I always do my best to take their time with each other slowly; after all, it would be way out of character for them to fall in love within two hours. LOL. So thank you for your review! ^_^

- **pammazola**: I LOVE SESSMOM! I think she's a lot like me when it comes to acting dramatic and 'sad', LOL. I only watched the 9th episode of the Final Act like twenty thousand times he he. But at least I know that his mom is still alive, so why don't you try to play nice with her, Sesshomaru? :) And if you want to see some ******* action, guess what - Sesshomaru will learn of Rin's disappearance and he.. will.. NOT TAKE IT WELL AT ALL! :P Thanks for reviewing :)

- **Deadman19**: Aww, you are so sweet :) Thank you for reviewing :D

**I really, really, really, REALLY, recommend listening to Hymn for the Missing by Red. It really sets the emotional tone for this chapter. You'll see why... :(**

**Chapter 14**

The Western Lands, or more specifically the citizens living under Sesshomaru's rule, were about to be put through Hell. And there was a distinct possibility that they would regret they had even thought about serving Lord Sesshomaru with their heart, soul and mind. If they assumed they could handle his temper - which they had yet to see the full amount - they were wrong. If they assumed that they could live peacefully under his protection and rule, they were wrong.

Sesshomaru was about to unleash his rage; his true demonic self. He was willing to let his beast take control and to slaughter anyone in his path. Because of what he had learned.. his beast was urging to spill blood - the crimson coloured liquid that allowed one to live. He was in the mood to kill.. and there was no one that could stop him.

This was one of the many times he had lost control; but there were few times when he had actually stopped giving into his bloodlust. This situation was completely different from the others. Because he had someone to protect. He remembered one time - specifically the night when Rin was first kidnapped by Naraku - when he denied such foolish thoughts...

**)(Flashback)(**

_**Tell me, Sesshomaru.. Do you have someone to protect? Do you have someone that you cannot live without? Someone that you love and care for, no matter the cost?**_

_The celestial, crystal ivory moon shone lustrously throughout the land - providing the luminance that sentient, or inhumane beings, required._

_But to some, that light was never less useful. Others, the moon was their advantage. For humans, for example, and to other unique species of demons._

_One would use the moon as a point to trigger their transformation into majestic beasts - ones that would terrorize countless human villages and force in dominance and power beyond one's understanding. However, there were demons that do not require the presence of the heavenly star; their instincts can do just as well on their own._

_An immensely loud, frightening snarl thundered across the valley, among the plains and even amongst nearby mountains, lakes and streams. Anyone within a five hundred mile radius would cower in fear and despair inside their huts, instinctively protecting themselves as they would hear it. But this noise was always natural to hear at night - no matter where you come from, no matter which village you lived in. _

_After all, this was feudal era Japan: a time of war, a time of magic and a time of inner hatred toward demons; they were seen as corrupt monsters from hell who torment people's lives, devour their souls and leave nothing but ashes and bones for survivors to find. If any._

_This world had come close many times to becoming fully dominant of demons; they were far stronger than humans, they had longer life spans, and their greediness and lust for power was certainly greater than regular greed-driven humans. There were other reasons that could send Earth into complete chaos; but it so happened that nothing disturbed the balance... _

_**Do you have someone to protect?**_

_Another snarl rang out in the forest, but silence soon came after._

_Monstrous, lustrous, citrous eyes glowed in the dark._

_**I do not have anyone to protect... I do not need anyone...**_

_But when vivid images of chocolate eyes, silky, smooth, raven hair, and skin glowing angelically appeared before him.. _

_What did he see?_

_What did he feel?_

_**I do not feel anything. I do not feel anything toward that girl. Emotions are useless to me. Feelings are week - and so are those who believe in them.**_

_And with that, the ivory-haired demon continued to stalk his way out of the forest..._

**)(End Flashback)(**

Rin belonged to him. She was to be his intended - his betrothed. She was to be his mate - and no one else's. He was being possessive, and even the great Sesshomaru knew that. Though he had denied his feelings for the girl before, he would not do so now. He had cherished her - the only human woman that dared to be in his company without any fear or doubts of being killed or staying alive. Rin had trusted him. And Sesshomaru knew that she had grown to love him, above anyone else. He knew that she would risk her own life to make sure that his own would not be tainted with death. Such loyalty and faithfulness were qualities for a fine mate.. Rin would be much more than that.

He had looked forward, for the first time in centuries, to returning for her; he had yearned for her presence thousands of times as he was in the East. Sesshomaru wanted to feel his lips press against her own in a passionate kiss.. He wanted to touch her, and to feel the body that glowed beauty and attractiveness.. He wanted to hear her voice - speaking of her own thoughts and opinions. He had grown to miss her presence.. He could not bear to live without her if anything had happened to her. Which was the case, in this circumstance.

Sesshomaru was a scholar; it did not take him long to figure out that something terrible had happened in the West while he was gone to meet with the East ruler. No one dared to make eye contact with him; they were all nervous and anxious - fearing for their lives. Sesshomaru could smell that fear in their blood. But they had not told him anything. The only being in the castle that acted competent and completely sane was his mother, but he could tell that even she had something to hide from him temporarily.

Sesshomaru wanted to spell it out to anyone within the mostly vaccant castle that they had made a grave mistake; testing Sesshomaru's patience resulted in life threatening injuries, or even worse - death.

Apparently, his mother was not threatened by him. She believed that her own son could not kill her, but that theory could easily be remedied if she did not tell him where Rin was. He had figured out this simple fact when he could not detect her scent within the castle walls. This angered him, but if no one was willing to tell him the truth, his blood would boil, and his demon would practically destroy the lands. No one would dare to keep secrets from him, unless they wish that to happen upon themselves.

"Mother."

Sessmom could not help but smile slightly - a little pleased that her only son had used sentiment when addressing her. But that would only be the case if there was something serious to discuss, which tampered with her high hopes to realizing that he may treat her better than what he had done over the years.

"Where is she?" Surprisingly, he had asked this in an uncomfortable tone of calmness not even Sessmom had heard him speak before. Which made it another sign that he was about to go ballistic - a behavior that few, few people had seen him act. Including his mother.

Sesshomaru's eyes were close to being filled with bloodlust, yet they were unreadable and filled with violent rage. If he did not receive the information that he required, there was next to no way he could ever calm down. Luckily for Sessmom, she knew how to calm him; but she prayed that it would not come to that.

"I will not require this of you again," Sesshomaru narrowed his citrous eyes in warning - threatening the demon who he had the displeasure of calling 'mother'.

"Sesshomaru, there is no need to get upset," She smiled weakly. "She will not be harmed. You will have her back."

Sesshomaru was close to seeing crimson. "Masato took her?" With a confirmation nod from Sessmom, Sesshomaru growled like a feral, wild animal. "Wretch. He will pay for what he has done." This comment was meant to be entirely rhetorical.

"Sesshomaru," Sessmom tried to call out to her son, but he was already in the process of leaving the room. "You do not know where he is; do not be foolish into thinking that you can go find her by instinct alone!"

Sesshomaru paused, raising an eyebrow as he listened to his mother calling him to come back. "I presume that you know where he is?"

"Those filthy panthers are close with him."

Sesshomaru took in this information quicker than expected. "When have you learned this?"

"The night that.. I was not aware there was a plot," Sessmom explained slowly; using the wrong words would obviously anger her son - pushing him over the edge to insanity and no cure could clear his diseased mind. But there was one that could, yet ironically his future mate was not there to help him.

Sesshomaru had cleared the room, causing the lady of the middle lands to sigh in heavy relief. "So glad to know that Sesshomaru would not pull a strand out of his mother's hair. Which reminds me..."

As much as Sessmom was supposedly worried about her future daughter, she was also worried about her future appearance as a grandmother. She could not hope to look like an old woman!

**:3 :3 :3**

That night, the sky was pitch black; there were no stars sparkling, and there was no celestial moon to witness the foreseeable bloodbath that was to happen shortly. Though Sesshomaru normally would not like his claws to be caked in blood MOST days, since he so happened to use his Bakusaiga in his battles, this was the one exception that he could not make things clear enough.

Rin was captured. There was no doubt that she would be calling for him.. But Sesshomaru was not the type to be 'worried'. It was an emotion that would not do him any good. He would admit grudgingly that he was concerned for her, but was not 'worried'. He was not familiar feeling that particular emotion.

As his crysal eyes radiated in the dark, and his ears and nose were there to detect any danger; not that they would present themselves a challenge to him. There was only one that Sesshomaru was interested in; Touran.

Considering that she was expecting him to appear in these woods, Sesshomaru was not surprised in the least to detect a foul stench in the air - meaning that it was Touran nearby. Threatening her would not do much good; seeing that he had done so before and she never appeared to be frightened of him - which was ironic, considering the times in battle when the panther tribe practically left with their tails between their legs like cowards.

"Sesshomaru, I have been expecting you."

Sesshomaru immediately narrowed his eyes; he never thought that one day would he have to face the panthers again - seeing that they had lost any chances and hopes to ressurect their deceased master, and fled the scene. "Glad to see that you have gained an arm."

Immediately recalling their past encounter; which revolved around Touran insulting Sesshomaru, taunting him to the point where his annoyance had nearly come close to rising to the top. Especially since he had been reminded that his half-breed brother had torn his arm clean off. Even that was a huge blow to his pride; but he eventually gotten used to having no left arm. There even came a time that he did not even care that he had no left arm.

"Touran, what do you want?"

Appearing from out of the bushes, her skin still glowed against the dark - an icy pale tone. Her eyes, which were blue as the ocean, shone; contrasting with her skin against the darkness.

"Short-tempered like always. Well, I guess you cannot teach a dog new tricks."

Sesshomaru felt his blood boil, but otherwise he ignored the offensive comment. "Have you taught Masato new tricks?" The best payback was to use a similar taunting: an insult beyond worth responding to.

"Masato; how silly of me not to introduce," Touran spoke calmly, though deeply inside she was somewhat bothered by his retort. She had somewhat hoped that the mutt would put any instances of their rivlalry behind them and would at least try to maintain a forced alliance with them.

"How do you know of that wretched fool?" Sesshomaru demanded, starting to lose his patience with the panther.

Touran giggled. "Sesshomaru, it is not becoming to ask me something like that; especially in angry standards. Did your mother not teach you to behave properly like the puppy that you are?" Before Touran could stop with her harmless teasing, she felt a cold hand wrap around her throat in a tight motion, like a serpent. Instantly, she found herself backed up against a tree - coughing for air circulation. She glanced upward, seeing the Dog Demon with an unamused expression on his facial features. He was never one to be in a playful mood; he was always one to be serious and calculating - not to mention uptight and 'anti-social'.

"You are wasting my time, as well as your own."

"Who would have thought that the almighty Lord Sesshomaru was missing his human wench? Then again, who would have thought that a dog would fall in love with a mortal?" Touran pondered to herself, disregarding the furious expression planted on his face - and she certainly did not see it in his eyes. "Like father, like son, I suppose?"

After hearing those words, she knew instinctively that she should stop teasing him; but it was too much fun! After all, she had not seen him in a while. Being trapped in the Eastern Lands was certainly no fun; especially since her new ruler did not take kindly for her tribe to randomly wreak havoc on any nearby village.

Touran, once again, found herself on her stomach on the dirt; she tasted the grim dirt and spat it out immediately. Feeling the sudden pain in her abdomen, she stood up slowly, not taking her eyes off of the ballistic demon lord.

"Why so angry, Sesshomaru? I was not the one who took your precious woman."

"Befriending a raven is a desperate move for someone who could not sink any lower."

"You are just as nosy as your mother. I am not inclined to tell you how we have met. The point of the matter is, where do you think the remaining ravens have fled after your little execution?"

Sesshomaru stated, "Close as you may be, hiding that fool in your lands is another desperate move."

"You wish to know why? Strength is in numbers, Sesshomaru. But even you might not understand that concept; dogs do not seem to work together very well?" Touran asked, but it was once again clear that she was insulting him. "But would you work with me now, seeing that I have the knowledge of your woman's whereabouts?"

"We are not allies," Sesshomaru spat. "You have told me all I need to know, thank you." Without any other signs of acknowledgement of her presence, Sesshomaru had walked away - leaving Touran standing alone.

He could care less of what she thought of him; the only thing that mattered was Rin.

**:3 :3 :3**

"Rin. Wake up, darling..."

Rin groaned, feeling her body starting to wake up after its long session of rest. Mentally though, Rin did not want to wake up.. She did not want to give into this person's request; if it was Sesshomaru's voice.. she would be more than happy to open her eyes. However, she knew that the one that was speaking to her was not Sesshomaru.

She felt claws graze her cheeks and a palm cup her chin. This was enough to make her tremble in fear; as she was not comfortable with this man's sudden behavior.

"Wake up, my love..."

Rin could not help but notice that every time this man had spoken, her head throbbed, her legs still ached with soreness and her throat was parched - she was in dire need of something to quench her thirst. Even her lips were dry, and it was tempting to lick them, but Rin did not.

She opened her eyes slowly, hoping that the mysterious man had left her; but to her unfortunate circumstance, Masato's rouge eyes stared lustily into Rin's mahogany hues.. a shiver of discomfort and temporary irrational fear cascaded down her back.

"How are you feeling, my love?" Masato whispered huskily, leaning closer to hear his intended's voice that sounded like a syren to him. A syren from heaven...

"I..." How could Rin tell him that she was with Lord Sesshomaru? How could she persuade him that she was in love with no other? But then she remembered he had taken her against her will; this was not an act of love. This was an act of pigheadedness - this was an act of a petulant child who was desperate enough to take anything of his desire. Yet Rin could not find it in her heart to snap at him in a violent manner. After all, he was a demon; he could kill her if she had rejected his lust-filled intentions. But he was not Lord Sesshomaru; Rin knew that she would rather give up her life than to give up her love for Lord Sesshomaru.

"I cannot love you, Masato. I love another," tears of desperation and sorrow flowed down Rin's cheeks, trying to explain the situation to him.

Masato knew it would come to this; as the woman told him that she was not in love with him.. it not only broke his heart into thousands of pieces, it angered him to the core. He was practically upset that he could not have her.

He frowned, displeased that it would come to this. If he could not have Rin.. he could not let Sesshomaru have her. "Of course. How could any woman resist the charms of a dog? I have hoped that I could court you, but it seems that your heart has been captured by a mutt!" And with that, he lowered his claws and stabbed Rin; a painful, agony-filled scream - with torment and sorrow - coming out of her lips.

Masato did not look back at the woman; her wounds were indeed life-threatening. She would die in a matter of days, and it would take Sesshomaru that long at least to find her.

Meanwhile, Rin gasped - feeling blood pour out of her stomach at a slow pace; tears of restraint and the most tortuous laceration invaded her physical body and her emotional state of mind. She could not help but cry.. she whimpered, feeling the fire within her body begin to spread.

Flashes of Masato slaughtering her - with blood splashing out in high speed and velocity - appeared before her very eyes; she became extremely terrified picturing the cruel, heartless and soulless eyes of Masato stare into her own.. he had nothing but a sadistic smile planted on his face as she imagined him licking his claws in contentment, as his eyes turned blood red...

She screamed: the images becoming more and more frightening for her to handle.

_Lord Sesshomaru.. please.. help me! _She called out to her dear savior in her mind, but there was no reply. How could she expect him to reply? He could not hear her.. He would not come for her..

She felt as though her heart would stop as that last thought crossed her mind. Her eyes widened; wondering if that could possibly be true. Could she believe it?

Rin felt as though she knew the difference between reality and fantasy as she felt herself closing her eyes.. Her tears continued to pour down from heaven; though she had stopped weeping. She would give anything for her lord to be here with her, if it were only her last moments of breath. She wanted to reach out to Lord Sesshomaru, but there was no one there.. Her heart was pounding vigorously, unable to realize that she was falling into a dream-like state..

Voices whispered in her mind; Rin could think to herself that she heard Lord Sesshomaru calling out to her from a long, distant place.. It was like he was crying out for her, but she could not make her way to find him. She could not see him there, but she could hear him.

_Lord Sesshomaru? Where are you? _Rin sobbed, trying to find her way in the darkness. But there was no one there to help her; no one was there to save her from the cruel restrictions of the dark - which was eager to devour her entirely..

Rin did not know if she could find her way back to him... could she find her way back to him? Could she find a way to go back into his loving, protective arms that kept her from danger? Could she look into those honey-gold eyes and say to him that she loved him? She wished that she could, ever so desperately.. But she could not find him..

There was never more dangerous a time that Rin had felt alone.. so alone, so useless, so helpless - to not get herself into this kind of situation - and so.. weak. She was weak to believe that she could be with her lord forever. She was weak to love him. Yet those feelings of adoring love for him would never fade away; she had to wonder if he was looking for her like she was for him..

_I do not want to stay.. I want to be with you, Lord Sesshomaru... Forever and always.. _But not even those words of faith had led her to him.

Her heart nearly stopped beating, causing her to gasp in sudden shock and agony. She wanted to scream out to the world of her hopeless cause..

_Will I ever see you again, my.. love? _Rin thought to herself, as she let herself be claimed by the greedy shadows that wanted to taste on her soul..

**:3 :3 :3**

As Sesshomaru walked along the forest floor, a powerful shock of inflammation entered his body - preventing him to move.. He stood frozen still as his eyes widened in disbelief and fear..

He heard a scream of terror, sorrow, and agonizing torment pierce his ears.. It was not any ordinary scream. It was a scream of a mortal woman - crying out for her lover to save her.. and it was not any ordinary woman. It was Rin... How he could hear her from so far away, he did not know. All he knew was that he had to find her.

His heart nearly stopped beating when he heard her cry out in such a manner; she was suffering.. she was in pain.. perhaps she was even dying.. Sesshomaru had to bite back a howl of displeasure. She would not die. He would not allow it.

And so, Sesshomaru began his journey to dash toward the young woman that he.. loved.. with his heart and soul.. which he had to admit, once again, grudgingly, and prayed and prayed that she would live.. he would not think twice to die for her. As long as she lived, that would be the most important thing in his mind.. Sesshomaru could not stand to lose her; as he stared up into the midnight sky.. he felt his beast wanting to be out.. he wanted to run: he wanted to sprint. He wanted to hurry over to Rin's side..

And so.. Sesshomaru let out his beast; as he roared in warning to those who held Rin captive, he transformed. The majestic Dog Demon abruptly started to scamper toward the East with one thought in mind.

_Do not give up on me, Rin. I am coming for you.._

**:3 :3 :3**

**This chapter made me cry! :( **

**I am super, super sad that Rin got attacked, and could possibly die from her injuries.. I am super pissed at Masato; his jealous rage toward Sesshomaru got her injured. DICK! :(**

**Anyways, please let me know what you think! ^_^**


	16. The Taiyoukai's Journey

**Remember when I said that there may be an action scene involving Sessmom? No? Well, I shouldn't say anything more! XD **

**Thank you goes out to...**

**- ****Moonlight Mermaid**: Love, love, wonderful love! LOL. And Rin is a tough girl, so she should be strong for a while.. Thanks for reviewing :)

- **samy-sama**: Aww, you make me happy when you say things like that :) Yes, Masato will pay for what he has done (it's not a threat, it's foreshadowing, LOL) and Sesshomaru will kick his butt so hard, Masato will die from impact. He, he. Don't you love Sessmom? :) I KNOW! She is so awesome - even though we only see her in one episode of InuYasha: The Final Act. Who knows? Maybe there will be some grandchildren for her ;) Thanks for reviewing!

- **icegirljenni**: Masato did love her; it's just that he let himself go ballistic and out of control. Of course he was too stupid to realize this :P "May the luck be with Rin". I'm sorry but that just reminds me of "may the force be with you" for some reason.. o_0 But thanks for reviewing! :D

- **Deadman19**: HELLO! Sesshomaru will kick his arse into next week; but then again, if he did that, Masato will be easily slain LOL! Thank you for your review :)

- **lxl lxl**: And I love you for reviewing! It makes my day - trust me, I'm not lying to you about that :3

- **pammazola**: Yeah, it's only five or so more chapters and the story is done with completely :P And actually, I am going to write another Sesshomaru and Rin; how do you feel if it would be based on a movie? (one of my favourites!) Thanks for your review :3

**Chapter 15**

Blood-rimmed eyes stared icily upon the peaceful beauty of the emerald forest... taking in every sight... every smell...

These lands did not change much... Which made it perfect for him.. It was quite beautiful and peaceful... Just like his homeland before it came to be acquainted with death, despair and complete annihilation.. This land would be perfect to rule.. though it could not satisfy his taste for revenge.. though it could not be the same land that he was accustomed to inherit..

He would strike fear, doubt and submission into those who would dare strike against him; that is, if they were not afraid of him first.

No. He would kill those who would stand in his way between greatness and eternal strength. No one deserved to live if they refused to obey their master.

Now Masato was willing to exact his revenge upon Sesshomaru; who would, without a doubt, be rushing off to the castle in high hopes that his lover would be alive. As fast as dog demons were in their true form, Sesshomaru would not make it to save her. She would die from her wounds, and there would be nothing that Sesshomaru could do except whine like a pathetic puppy.

Masato grinned arrogantly; this would teach the filthy dog to not interfere with his desires. This would teach him that he would not hope to be a great leader if he allowed the death of his future mate to occur. This would teach him that he could not father heirs..

Now he would wait...

But after hearing a ferocious, blood-thirsty, powerful roar across the land, did Masato start to curse to himself. How the damned dog had arrived this early was beyond his knowledge, but it did not matter. The woman would already be dead, and Sesshomaru would have no one else to blame except for himself.

"Lord Masato, w-what should we do? S-S-S-Sesshomaru is awfully close to the castle, my Lord."

Masato ignored his 'loyal' servants' rambling; instead, focusing on the howl that interrupted his train of thought. He knew that Sesshomaru was warning to any surrounding beasts that they better not interfere in his quest. Sesshomaru was feared and respected well in the other lands, as well as his own; which made Masato feel more angered at the current situation that he was in.

His eyes narrowed while his nose told him that the filthy mutt's stench remained still. He knew then that the mutt intended to fight him before coming to save his loved one. Masato sneered; he would heed to Sesshomaru's request, but if he won.. he would not be pleased that the woman that he had come to fight for would be dead.

"Listen to me now, you fool," Masato turned around - his eyes filled with bloodlust and madness -facing his servant, who would do what he asked - no questions asked. "Burn this castle. Burn it to the ground," Masato hissed, his voice filled with venom.

Meiwakuna bowed obediently, determined that he would not fail; his life depended on it. "B-but what about the woman?"

"She is of no concern. Now go!" Masato shouted, his patience wearing thin.

When Meiwakuna yelped in fear and distress, and fled to do his bidding, Masato turned back to his former position - staring into the woods with an unreadable expression planted on his face.

**:3 :3 :3**

Sesshomaru had waited impatiently along the forest floor, with his arms crossed and his eyes burning with a hatred that no one had seen in the past few hundred years. They were coming close to glowing blood-red, as they did not detect anyone nearby.

He had changed into his humanoid form; he had decided to kill Masato in this form. It had nothing to do with the fact that there was a possibility he would lose one of his arms if he remained in his dog demon transformation. He was not frightened to say the least; he had lived years without his left arm, and he could deal with that again, but it would waste his time. He was not going to take any chances; therefore, the best way to deal with this situation was to stay in this form.

If it were up to Sesshomaru, he would torture the raven and kill him in the most brutal, most horrifying way possible; but since he did not have much time, he decided that as long as Masato's blood was spilt and that his heart stopped beating, it would satisfy him - knowing that the one demon that dared to take Rin away from him was gone..

And in his mind, he could still hear the blood-currdling scream.. the sound that terrified Sesshomaru the most; he could hear Rin crying out - begging for mercy.. he could hear her beg for help.. he could hear her screaming for dear life.. and he could hear her pray that he would come for her. What terrified Sesshomaru more was the vision of Rin dying. He could not hope to live through that again.

This was his motivation; but as each moment passed, Masato did not show up. It would not be surprising at all if Sesshomaru thought that he had not received his message loud and clear.

_Coward._ Was what Sesshomaru thought. Ravens, such as Masato, tended to think that they were superior to any demon; which was probably the cause of their downfall. The raven clan had invaded the West in hopes to claim it - and they were willing to fight for it. But once they had lost, they practically blamed their loss on the Dog Demon clan. This annoyed Sesshomaru greatly; did they not claim any responsibility for actions they have done?

"Have I made the great Dog Demon wait? Well, I cannot say that I am sorry. I had other obligations," Masato's voice was not filled with genuine regret, as he said, but the tone of it was dull but clear. Clear enough for Sesshomaru to understand what he was trying to imply.

Sesshomaru narrowed his eyes, watching Masato appear from the shadows with a half-smirk on his face, his red eyes filled with lust for battle, and his hair was tied into a traditional braid. Masato did not have much armor on - since he could take advantage of his flight abilities.

"Such as planning your escape?" Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow in curiosity, not sounding angry or ferocious. But it was difficult to remain calm when he practically wanted to tear out the raven's heart as well ripping his upper torso apart. He wanted him to scream in torment as he did so; he wanted him to be in tortuous pain.. But Sesshomaru was willing to wait. For now.

"You should be planning your own," Masato snapped.

"This Sesshomaru does not run like a coward with his tail between his legs." Again, Sesshomaru was not affected by Masato's attempt to taunt him.

"Of course you don't," Masato sneered. "I suppose you are like your father in that way."

Sesshomaru bit back his repressed anger - barely able to control the rage that was wanting to be let out. "What do you mean by that?"

"Falling in love with a mortal woman. I suppose that you want to die for her too?"

"Where is she?" Sesshomaru growled.

"I am afraid that you are too late. I have dispatched her myself."

Sesshomaru could not hold back his demon much longer; after hearing him say such blasphemy angered him to the core. Sesshomaru was willing to sign this raven's death warrant - seeing that the damned bird was too arrogant to see his mistake. He would pay the ultimate price for such actions.

"It is ironic; you are following your father's footsteps. Seems like you can't save her now," Masato laughed, enjoying seeing the pained expression on the dog's face. Part of his plan was to intimidate him - to make him lose control. And the other part was to damage his ego, which was working the way Masato hoped. "The Mighty Sesshomaru isn't so mighty now, is he?"

Before he knew what happened, Sesshomaru used his claws to horizontally enter his flesh - intending to tear his heart right out of his chest. Masato yelped, trying do defend himself, but Sesshomaru had beat him. Sesshomaru then used his other hand to choke Masato - preventing him from breathing in the air that he was not deemed worthy to breath. Sesshomaru withdrew the hand that stabbed Masato so violently that Masato gasped in pain, blood spewing from his mouth.

Sesshomaru dropped him, but dared not to give the raven any mercy; he kicked him with no shame, sending Masato a few feet away. His injuries were not enough to kill him, but they were enough to temporarily prevent him from going anywhere.

"Damn you," Masato snarled, wiping his mouth - trying to rid himself of the vile liquid that kept rising out of his throat.

Sesshomaru did not reply; instead, he merely turned his back on the injured raven and headed toward the castle much to the raven's broken pride. Sesshomaru was not the one to finish him off; after all, his mother had a quarral with the raven demon clan more so than he. But secretly he was disappointed that he would not be able to see the bastard die by his hands; he had reluctantly agreed to his mother's proposal. When the time was right, she would arrive to execute the raven.

"Running away from battle like a coward, Sesshomaru?" Masato screeched, hoping that his continuous insults would be enough to attract the dog demon lord's attention. He tore off his top haori to cover his stomach wound. "A real warrior would finish their opponent!"

Sesshomaru turned around, his eyes glowing with such hatred and monstrosity that Masato had immediately stayed quiet; but if he was as prideful as he was before, he would say that the pain in his stomach had been the cause of his silence. "You are not worth being killed by this Sesshomaru's hands." In other words, this was a trap that Sesshomaru was putting in place.

And so he used his poison claws to, once again, stop the raven from moving any further; he was determined to say the least.

"She is already dead! Why waste your time? If I were you, I would value my own life."

Sesshomaru was more than tempted to simply decapitate his head off, using his poison, and he would have done so if he had not smelt smoke in the area. His heart beat increased dramatically, and was pounding against his chest as though it were telling him to save Rin and to do so quickly.. "You are nothing more than an insect," Sesshomaru stated. Masato was embarrassed and angry that he had the nerve to talk to him in such a way.

But he could not retaliate, seeing that the lord had left him - intending for his mother to finish the job.

**:3 :3 :3**

As Sesshomaru neared the castle, the smell of the wildfire that was plaguing it entered his nose; and his senses were clouded with smoke. It was sensitive to them, but Sesshomaru could truly not care.

He saw the castle in open flames: the wild, uncontrollable colours of orange and blood-red spread throughout the entire structure - preventing any possible survivors from escaping. Sesshomaru swore to himself that Rin was alright; though the feelings piercing through his chest told him that she could be lost within the flames already. But Sesshomaru was not going to believe those words.

As he leaped, in other words literally bouncing off the ground and into the sky in hopes to decrease time to get to his destination, he smelt it; Rin's blood.

His eyes narrowed. With agility and elegance he did not know he had, he had made his way through the crumbled ruins - letting his nose lead the way.

Rin was injured. Rin could possibly die. This was something that Sesshomaru would never admit out loud - that he feared for her. He.. had to say that he hoped that Rin would be alright.. Hope was a human concept - something that Rin had taught him during their time together. This was the first time that he had to rely on hope to save her..

_I am coming for you, Rin..._

**:3 :3 :3**

Masato cursed to himself, feeling the full extent to his injuries. He could not himself - which infuritated him. He had failed to kill the dog that caused his own family to die. Yet Masato knew that he would take this time to recuperate and then seek out his revenge later. He licked his lips; this was a marvelous, ingenious plan and no one would be able to stop him.

He was in depth with his thinking that he did not notice Sessmom's presence; she was staring at him with hatred, not unlike her son. Even though Sessmom had not killed much as she should have in her lifetime, she was glad that she was able to rid herself - and Sesshomaru - of this problem that was stuck in her side like a thorn.

Her golden eyes told her that he was greatly injured; he would not be able to flee. He would not be able to defend himself.

"You must be proud of yourself, raven," She stated - attracting the attention of the raven demon who froze, recognizing the feminine, dainty yet spiteful voice. "to cleverly release yourself from my son."

"It was not part of the plan, I assure you," Masato grunted.

"The girl was part of your plot?"

Masato rolled his eyes. "It is not your concern;you speak of it as though you are worried. Did the Lady of the Middle Lands suddenly develop a heart?" before he could finish off his taunting strategy, he felt cold claws piercing his shoulder.

"Do not speak of love; you do not understand it," Sessmom spat out - and Masato could hear the anger tremble in her voice. "Love is beyond your comprehension."

Masato snarled. "And you do?"

Sessmom's eyes reflected a small hue of sadness, before they hardened into a cool, calm and collected gaze. "I once did possess a heart. But it was because of your clan's actions that tore it apart."

Masato sneered. "Please, do forgive me; I did not know that the Lady was in love with the Dog Ruler. I did not know that by my family's intervention caused a strain between you."

Sessmom was not effected by his meaningless words; she had gotten over her heartache long ago - and focused her attentions elsewhere. Her son. "Are you begging for your life?"

"I would not beg my life from a woman," Masato scoffed, dismissing the idea that a woman could kill a man; he certainly would not die from Sessmom's claws.

"Excellent; I am in no mood to give someone the likes of you mercy," Sessmom smiled, pleased that her time would not be wasted. Though she could not hope to be satisfied that her latest kill - the first in a long while - would be too quickly. It did not matter though, Sessmom thought. At least the raven clan would become extinct. Permanently.

She grinned, the bloodthirsty glint in her eyes returning. Mercy was a lost concept to her now; not that she understood much of it before, but had grown certain affections revolving around her own family. When this idiot was done for, she would then focus on her son's wedding. Yes.. that was a pleasing thought.

**:3 :3 :3**

Sesshomaru cursed to himself, flickering his crysal eyes back and forth - in attempts to detect any sudden movements. Unfortunately, no sounds were heard within the vicinity. This meant that Rin was either unconscious.. or dead.

Sesshomaru could not accept the second option as a remote possibility; though he detected a lot of blood, it did not mean that Rin died.

However, there was still hope: he then heard sobs. They were soft and next to dead quiet, but it was the only lead that Sesshomaru had. He hoped that it was Rin.. As he rushed toward the sound, he then saw her..

He immediately knelt by her side; he could not help but lower his hand to touch her forehead. But he paid more attention to her injuries - which were consequential. He could see more blood pour out of her abdomen, but it was slowing down. He could hear her cry out.. whimpering his name. Sesshomaru did not know if she was conscious, but he noticed the tears of sorrow and agony streaking her cheeks.

Sesshomaru could not help but feel guilty; he had let this happen to her. He had let Masato take her in the night.. He had led Rin to her death.. But she was not dead. If he did not do something soon, that fact could change.

Sesshomaru could dissect his feelings later on; Rin's safety was of the utmost importance.. He gently lifted her into his arms. He held unto her but made sure not to wake her. Sesshomaru kissed her forehead, before feeling.. tears erupt in his eyes.

Sesshomaru growled; he was not crying. This Sesshomaru did not cry.

**:3 :3 :3**

**I know that you must hate me for this little cliffhanger, right? :) **

**Ugh. I think this chapter could have been better, but hey; I got it up right? So do review! Please? :3**

**Anyways, to explain Sessmom's character; I think that she must have felt a little emotion toward Inutaisho. I'm also wondering if this is the case, she could have become cold-hearted and distant from her son.. that would explain why she is this way, right? (THIS IS MY THEORY; ANYTHING I ASSUME CAN ONLY BE A THEORY AND NOT A PROVEN FACT! LOL) **

**I am warning you guys in advance now; next week, I'm going off on a grade 11/12 camping trip! YIPPEE, right? Well, this only means that I can't update this story until sometime next week. Sorry! ^_^ **


	17. The Proclamation of Love

**Thank you guys for giving me good wishes about the trip :) It's not often I get to relax surrounded by nature LOL. On the trip, I saw the CUTEST baby deer! It wasn't even a week old, and it was lying down like right beside one of the boys' tents. (Maybe thirty centimetres away?) I was like AWWW! Best trip, ever! :)**

**Anyways, back to the story! ^_^ I know you've patiently been waiting :) But first, thanks goes out to..**

**- ****Moonlight Mermaid**: Ha ha; so glad to know that you thought it was entertaining. Sessmom is very determined for the wedding to happen, LOL. Thank you for reviewing :)

- **Deadman19**: You are a very, very, smart reader ;) I didn't think anyone would notice those subtle hints and phrases. But you did! ^_^ And let's just say that Sessmom's killing methods are like a beast's. LOL. Thank you for your kind words :D

- **FanWriter88**: Thank you for your review! ^_^ You are lucky that I'm not even on writer's block;so the chapter may come sooner than you think ;) Masato was so full with ambition and pride that of course he didn't notice :P So stupid is a way to put it, he he.

- **icegirljenni**: You are right; Masato deserves to die by Sessmom's hand, LOL. Clearly the guy is on crack if he thinks that Sessmom cannot kill him. We will see who is laughing now! X)

- **samy-sama**: Masato is a baka! :) He can never understand true love, the idiot. He, he :P. I wouldn't be surprised if she organized the mating night; she is very ambitious when it comes to her son's love life, LOL! xD Thank you for reviewing :)

**Chapter 16**

"You love this girl, Sesshomaru. Do you not agree?" Sessmom asked, as she was sitting beside her son, who was currently refusing to leave the injured mortal girl. Sessmom was not surprised that he had this much dedication to give to her; but at the same time, she knew that he was extremely stubborn and determined.

This was Sessmom's second attempt of trying to converse with her son, but once again, she received no answer. Sessmom pouted, disliking the ignorance that Sesshomaru was showing her; she thought that she had taught him better than this. But then again, their relationship was complicated to say the least. All sentimental feelings they had for each other (such as mutual acceptance and tolerable notions toward each other) were strained. Even Sessmom knew it was around the time when Inutaisho had started to fall in love with that human princess. Since then, there were no visits from Sesshomaru. It was like he wanted to shun her for the rest of his naturall life and it hurt Sessmom dearly. Some would say that she was being dramatic of the situation, but those were her true feelings. At least, some of the time.

Sessmom adored drama, but there was only so much she could take; personally, she did not enjoy it when it had to do with her future daughter.

It had been two days since the conclusion of the ancient rivlary between the raven clan and the dog clan. It had been two days since Sesshomaru had threatened the healers to tend to Rin; and there had been no results. Except for the occasional statement that Rin should be able to live, but the injuries were wrapped up - best to the healers' abilities.

Sessmom was not dense in the least; she noticed that Sesshomaru was frightened. Sessmom thought that Sesshomaru would be terrified to the bone that he could lose Rin. But she never voiced out these opinions out loud - they would be a direct blow to his pride. Why was it that her only son had to suffer so much?

"She is mine. She belongs to me," Sesshomaru stated simply, but his eye contact never strayed from Rin's side; he continued to watch over her protectively - as though he were her guardian angel. The comparison was foolish; there was no such thing as angels. In this world, there were only greedy humans and bloodthirsty demons; but Rin tended to think that he himself was her angel. Her innocence and purity often made him theorize that Rin was an angel.. There was no other beautiful creature on this Earth that could surpass Rin in appearances. He had always been captivated by Rin...

"Sesshomaru, there is no need for you to worry. She will be fine," Sessmom said gently, which was the first time that Sessmom had used such loving words and the tone since Sesshomaru was a child. She never let out her true emotions and always played being cold and dramatic.

However, Sesshomaru tuned out his mother's words completely - his main focus was on Rin. Though she looked heavenly asleep.. with her lips soft and smooth... her skin a delicate shade of ivory.. Sesshomaru.. He.. he was afraid. Though he would not admit it, he was afraid that he was going to lose her. Her injuries were serious and life-threatening. One could only hope that she would live.

The concept of hope sprung back into his mind; he knew that Rin would want him to continue hoping for something to happen. But she was also aware that he was not the type of person to rely on it in any circumstance. He was a cold-hearted demon: hope was a human emotion.

Yet Rin managed to stir feelings.. feelings that he himself never knew he had until the point when Rin matured; he did not know that he was in love with her then.. only when serious danger was inflicted upon her, did he start to acknowledge the feeling of love.

But would he ever tell her in words...

"We have much to discuss, Sesshomaru," Sessmom penetrated Sesshomaru's train of thought and his concentration on Rin switched to his mother's words.

"There is nothing to discuss," He stated ingenuously.

"You are wrong. There is the wedding that needs to be organized, and then there is the mating ceremony-" Sessmom explained, her voice filled with worry. Sesshomaru, however, rolled his eyes at his mother's attempt to feeling overwhelmed by the current events. But once he heard the words 'mating ceremony', he growled - interrupting his mother from speaking any further.

"What is wrong, Sesshomaru? Do not tell me that you forgot the traditional ceremony," Sessmom cried out, once again - using her love for theatrics to play itself out: hoping to rise a reaction out of her son. "I thought that I have taught you better than this. I thought that you would always cherish your loving mother's words."

"This Sesshomaru is aware of the ceremonial ritual," Sesshomaru ignored her whining entirely, drowning out her own cries with his icy demeanor. "You do not need to arrange it."

"Do not be silly, my son," Sessmom grinned in a teasing manner. "It is my responsibility to teach your intended what will please you." If Sesshomaru was 'embarrassed' that his mother was bringing up the painful topic of his intimate nature, he did not show it.

"Leave," Sesshomaru said, after a long silence between them. He did not want to tolerate his mother's dramatic behavior this time around - though he had grown used to it. He only wanted to be by Rin's side. He did not want anyone interrupting them.

Sessmom could not help but pout. "How could you treat your darling mother this way? If it were not for me, she would have died."

Sesshomaru did not need his mother reminding him of the time when he himself could not save her; he did not want to relive the painful, agonizing moments of Rin's death.. He did not value his Tenseiga over Rin's life - which was what helped his heart grow in a compassionate nature. Even Sessmom expected this to happen.. she was the one that put his heart to the test.

Losing Rin meant that he would lose his life.. He would cherish Rin's life and protect it.. and he would never, never, let it go.. He would never let her fall into death's grip again..

"You may plan the ceremony," Sesshomaru said, gritting his teeth - clearly not happy that this was what Sessmom wanted him to say.

As expected, Sessmom immediately grinned joyously - pleased that her son had changed his mind. "You make me so happy, Sesshomaru."

For some reason, Sesshomaru preferred to hear those words coming from Rin.

**:3 :3 :3**

_She felt peaceful in her sleep; she felt bliss and happiness engulf her... her soul was eclipsed by the sunshine that was warming her heart. _

_Rin enjoyed this feeling; she never wanted to wake up.. she never wanted anything more than peace... _

_Yet, she could not help but imagine her surroundings. Rin saw herself in a precious meadow - with thousands of flowers painted along the grass. Rin smiled in ecstatic joy.. the sun was shining with pure radiant joy, the sky was a crystal blue and the clouds were snow white - like an angel's wings... _

_The pond, which was nearby, sparkled as the sun cast its reflection upon the gentle ripples. The water seemed like it was pure enough to drink, and Rin could see there were no imperfections nor was there any disturbances. _

_Then.. she heard footsteps walking within the tall strands of emerald grass, on their way toward her. Rin's eyes closed.. the smile on her face did not disappear: she knew who it was. It was her Lord Sesshomaru coming for her. _

_Her hair emanated in the wind: her strands of raven hair normally cascaded past her shoulders and down to her lower back.. _

_She then felt his embrace.. which was more than welcome.. she could feel his warmth radiating from his clothing.. from his skin.. to her own. He was providing her with his protection; his arms threw themselves passionately around her stomach - holding her tightly to him.. He breathed in her scent, as he lowered his nose to her neck; he was being loving and completely gentle with her. _

_Rin felt relaxed in his presence.. in fact, she swore to herself that she was not going to let herself fall. She would always have Lord Sesshomaru to save her. She would always have Lord Sesshomaru to protect her and love her. _

_"Rin.." Rin felt her heart beat increase in speed.. she felt as though she were soaring within the sky - and she was only hearing his voice.. He was her angel.. _

_"Lord Sesshomaru," Rin whispered, her feelings of happiness rising to an all time high as she felt his lips kiss her neck.._

_"My.. my angel," He moaned in delight, enjoying the taste of her. "I have something to ask of you, dearest.."_

_"What is it? Lord Sesshomaru?"_

_However, all good things must come to an end... Rin suddenly felt her stomach implode - pain spreading throughout her body.. she fell to her knees - starting to whimper in pain. She hoped that she could feel him with her.. yet.. _

_He was gone. Rin's tears of sorrow and loneliness flowed down her cheeks.. Was she truly, irrovacbly alone? She thought that he was beside her.. but it turned out that when she heard him.. he was not really there. It was all her imagination. _

_He would not come back to her... no matter how many times that she would call out for him.. For the second time, Rin let herself be claimed by the darkness..._

**:3 :3 :3**

The temporary feeling of peace and delight evaporated as Rin's eyelids opened - desperate to escape the cruel nightmare. She whimpered - feeling her stomach burn in malady.. She could not help but let her tears of laceration rain down her cheeks.

Rin wondered if she was back to the present. She wondered if she was still dreaming. Was she alive?

Rin was paralyzed; she could not move, nor did she want to. The warmth from the silk blankets provided her with the physical comfort, but mentally, Rin was not alright. She was never going to heal.. unless she had her Lord with her.

"Lord.. Lord Sesshomaru," she mewled, hoping that he could hear her. Her chest - which was burning with horrible, terrible, paroxysm that dared not to stop, gave her the most trouble; she had trouble breathing.

Before she knew it, she was gazing into loving, compassionate, softhearted eyes.. Rin then felt the urge to leap for joy.. He was there.. His honey orbs glowed with such emotion that she could not deny that it was him. She felt one of his hands slip under her head and the other around her petite legs to lift her tenderly into his arms without the blanket falling to the ground. Rin sighed in delight, drawing in the warmth and comfort as well as love that her lord was offering to her... She cuddled into him, and she could tell that he was reciprocating the embrace, but was not willing to tighten his hold on her. Was he afraid that he would hurt her?

"Rin.." He kissed her head, before letting his nose nuzzle into her soft, deep, raven locks. He breathed her intoxicating, beautiful scent in..

"You are here," Rin said, without a hint of loneliness or remorse. Honestly, she was just.. happy that he was there; she was happy that it was not a dream. He was really there with her.

"This Sesshomaru would never leave you," He answered, once again taking the opportunity to show her how much love he held for her.

His hand grasped Rin's small one and led it to his chest.. "This Sesshomaru's heart beats; it yearns for you. Only you, Rin." Rin nearly gasped, as she could feel Lord Sesshomaru's heart beneath her.. it was beating electric. She could feel it.. he had a heart. And knowing that he confessed his feelings for her made it all the more better for her..

"Now you have a heart, Lord Sesshomaru. Now you have one that you can use," Rin whispered in amazement.

"Rin."

"Yes?"

"This Sesshomaru inquires for you to marry him."

If Rin was happy that he was there for her before.. she felt no other feeling than utter delight and pure joy. Did.. did she hear right? Did Lord Sesshomaru just ask her to marry him? Tears of happiness flowed down her cheeks. She smiled, as she gazed into his eyes.. "Yes, my Lord."

And so, Sesshomaru kissed her... with as much passion, love, adoration and sentimentality as he could muster without hurting her.. Their lips danced lovingly.. neither one of them wanted to break the kiss, but they needed to break away for air.

"I love you," Rin confessed, leaning her forehead against Lord Sesshomaru's lovingly as she closed her eyes - enjoying the heat of the moment.

Sesshomaru's heart would have stopped; though she had agreed to marry him.. he did not expect her to proclaim those three words to him. He was about to kiss her in response, giving her his love, but he could tell that she went back to her peaceful slumber.

**:3 :3 :3**

"Come on, InuYasha, we have to go," Kagome tried desperately to convince her husband, who was pacing in the confinement of their hut.

"I don't think so! I would never go."

Kagome sighed in frustration, catching InuYasha's attention. As of recently, they had received an invitation from Sesshomaru, saying that they were invited to his wedding. InuYasha was so shell-shocked that he would have went into cardiac arrest. Not that he knew what that meant, but still.

Kagome knew that Rin was probably the one that wanted to invite the both of them; and Kagome did want to be there for her. But a stubborn jackass would not see that.

"I want to be there for Rin; come on, we should be happy for her."

InuYasha's golden eyes flared with anger. "Give me one good reason why I should go."

"You and Sesshomaru are brothers, InuYasha. This will mean a lot to the both of them if we come. It's only a small ceremony." Kagome tried her best to coax InuYasha into coming with her; and she was telling the truth. Even if Sesshomaru would not show his gratitude in words, he would be grateful that they would come. He would tolerate the both of them for Rin's sake, Kagome figured that much out.

Her head was starting to ache, causing Kagome to groan in pain as she rubbed her poor temples; living with an asshole such as InuYasha was never easy. This was a perk of arguing with him for far too long.

"Kagome?" He was by her side immediately - his eyes softened in concern and love..

Unfortunately though, Kagome was going to use this to her advantage. "We are going to the wedding InuYasha. Please? It will make me happy."

InuYasha cursed under his breath, as he also grumbled a "Fine, whatever." Kagome grinned, pleased that she had won this battle. Now she had to figure out what to wear..

**:3 :3 :3**

**I know, the chapter isn't that long at all - but hey: any update is better than none, right? **

**Please leave a review: it would mean a lot to me if you did! ^_^**


	18. The West Divides

**To be perfectly honest with you guys, I am not culturally diverse (in other words, I have no idea how marriages even worked back then) so I had to do some research :P. But, I hope that you guys will enjoy this chapter! :)**

**Thank you goes out to...**

**- ****Deadman19**: I am really sorry to disappoint you by excluding the action sequence :( But I hope that you'll enjoy the wedding! ^_^

- **samy-sama**: You and I have a lot in common :) I'm not really a girly girl, but when it comes to these kinds of scenes I'm always squealing "Aww...". LOL. Yes! Let's hope that Sessmom doesn't make Rin uncomfortable! 0_o. But I have a feeling that Sessmom will actually try to make an effort. LOL. It's not like she has had experience with humans before... Thanks for reviewing!

- **icegirljenni**: Nice! Maybe she doesn't want bad luck in her family, LOL. But then again, her son is marrying a human girl.. yet she's excited nonetheless. :P And as for your questions at the bottom, they will be answered (believe it or not!), so be patient and keep reading :)

- **xjsarang**: So it was because of my story that you are now a fan of Rin and Sesshomaru? I feel so proud of myself! ^_^ Thanks for reviewing :)

**Chapter 17**

It was Sesshomaru's decision, as well as his bride's, that the wedding would not take place until Rin had recovered completely. This would leave Sesshomaru and Rin to discuss important matters before the wedding would take place.

Sesshomaru had told Rin that his mother was in charge of the ceremony, so Rin would not have to stress about that. But she did find it amusing that Sesshomaru was not happy with the idea of his mother planning the whole event, and had practically whined to her that he was not pleased. But he changed his mind and in the end, Sessmom was delighted with this new development.

One matter that they had discussed was the guests; Sesshomaru had announced his union to Rin officially and he was not surprised that there had been some atrocious gossip easily spreading throughout the land concerning Sesshomaru's choice in a wife. He ignored the nobles' talk completely, yet it was difficult to restrain himself if he heard one insult about Rin and her appearance.

So Rin told him that she thought it would be best if only a small amount of people showed up. Of course, when it comes to Rin's choice of words, 'people' meant human companions responsible for helping her mature. Sesshomaru had no objection but at the same time he was not pleased that his half-brother had to come. He did not see why it was important for him to be at the ceremony, but he knew that he was not going to question his future wife's decision. Sesshomaru had enough self-control to tolerate his brother for the ceremony. So in the end, the female demon slayer, the oddly dressed priestess, the fox demon child, his half-brother and the lecherous monk were to arrive. Sesshomaru had very, very large doubts about the last one. He would not take kindly for a monk to make inappropriate gestures concerning her beauty.

It had been seven days since Rin had started to recover slightly from her wounds; but it had been three days since Sesshomaru's brother and his tribe of humans have arrived. Sessmom was easy to persuade of this development - especially since that Sesshomaru had informed her of InuYasha's appearance. Since then, she was oddly looking forward to having grandchildren with puppy ears - and she had not kept this opinion to herself.

Even though Sesshomaru had allowed the group to come early, it did not mean that he was happy about it; for one thing, he was severely annoyed that he would not get any alone time with his beloved. The demon slayer and the priestess would interfere. They would insist on helping her prepare for the upcoming ceremony and even Rin agreed with them. Sesshomaru would not win this argument - much to his dismay - so he let the women do as they pleased.

When it came to entertaining the monk and the half-demon, he left them to their own devices. But that also meant that he was to spend time with them (also to his annoyance). The monk was quite social and did not stop chatting to him about the ways of women. He kept gaving him unnecessary advice about their physical appearances, about how he should always be on her good side, how he should compliment her, how he should show his love to her, etc. Sesshomaru did not think that courting human women would be this much trouble. He assumed he could handle the monk's perspective on human women, but after hearing his half-brother's rudely put opinion of them, Sesshomaru was tempted to disinvite him to the ceremony altogether.

Then there was the serious conversation that went on between the three of them. InuYasha practically threatened Sesshomaru to take care of Rin, while Miroku had stated the obvious fact that the result of this union could have consequences. Sesshomaru was well aware that Rin would be in danger if she were to be with him, but he also thought that Rin would be in even more danger if she wasn't.

Sesshomaru had no regrets about marrying Rin. She was the only woman that brought out his feelings.. she was the only one that he would ever love.

**:3 :3 :3**

"Rin?"

"I.. I can't do this," Rin said, her voice filled with worry and mortal terror. She felt as though her heartbeat was too quick for her. Each time she tried to breath, it was another step to losing it.

"Rin, you can do this. You're so ready to be married." Kagome tried to comfort the girl - who was close to shedding tears. Kagome knew that she was hyperventilating, but she had to stop being so nervous. Kagome was just as anxious on her wedding day, but that didn't stop her from marrying her true love InuYasha.

Kagome rubbed Rin's back, which was clothed in a delicate but very, very, beautiful (not to mention expensive) Uchikake. It was a snow white colour and it matched Rin's complexion. If one looked close enough, there were small, intricate designs of flowers imprinted on the fabric. Kagome never had anything this fancy - seeing that she was not wealthy or of the upper class structure. Thus, she could not help but drop her jaw in wonder.

There were many fine layers to the kimono and Rin was absolutely disgusted with how she looked in it; Kagome did not blame her. Rin wanted to take it off, thinking that she was not worthy to wear it. It took an hour or so to convince her, with Sango's help, that she looked beautiful. That Sesshomaru would think that she was gorgeous. That was enough motivation for her to keep it on.

"What if.. what if.." Rin whimpered, her concerns holding her back from revealing them to Kagome.

"You are beautiful, Rin. Don't let anyone tell you different. Besides, don't you love him?"

Rin looked up into Kagome's eyes, her chocolate hues were sparkling with tears. "I love him more than I do myself."

"Then go out there and tell him."

Rin still wasn't completely sure, but she decided to let herself calm down before coming to a decision. She was fairly young in age and was at the right age to marry - there was no question about that. She just knew that Lord Sesshomaru held affection for her and there was also no problem about that. But what was the problem? Was it the fact that she would be increasing more enemies for her dearest lord just by joining him in holy matrimony? She never wanted to mortify her lord, much less shame him beyond discrimination.

"I'm sorry.. it's just.." Rin tried to explain the cause of her botheration, but no words came to mind.

"Rin, when he asked you to marry you, did you hesitate to answer?" Kagome inquired.

"No," Rin admitted, glancing away from Kagome in an attempt to hide her embarrassment.

"When InuYasha proposed to me, I practically hopped like a bunny," Kagome giggled, instantly reminescing in the sweet memories of the past. "And I didn't even hesitate to marry him. So what's stopping you?"

Once again, Rin found herself unable to answer. Why couldn't she answer? Was she afraid that this union was a mistake? Or at least.. in Kagome's eyes?

Rin tried to shake her head, removing any thoughts of doubting herself from her mind. Though her heart pounded against her chest like never before... she was calming down. Wasn't she?

"I am just worried," Rin tried to explain. "There were things that we have not even spoken to each other about."

Kagome blinked. "Like what?"

"Children."

Kagome nodded her head in understanding, as the embarrassed blush on Rin's cheekbones darkened. It was obvious that Rin wanted to hear pitter patters of feet on the floor; Kagome understood why she wouldn't tell Sesshomaru. How would he feel about having half-human, half-demon children? But since Kagome was pretty sure that Sesshomaru loved Rin with all his heart (that melted into a puddle of water over the years), Kagome didn't think that he would have a problem with half-demon children. But once again, she thought about his cold, demeaning character. He despised InuYasha with a passion - yet he had received an invitation to the wedding no less - and Kagome had no clue what Sesshomaru had against him. She didn't think it was about strength, or at least, that was her opinion. Or maybe it was because Sesshomaru was raised to hate half-breeds?

Kagome shook her head, dwelling to not get herself off topic. Who knew what Sesshomaru actually thought? He was one of those guys that held the best of poker faces: no one could actually read him. If Sesshomaru had changed for the better, would he approve of half-breed children.. Kagome hoped that he wouldn't hurt Rin in any way.. She was an innocent, sweet young girl who deserved to be happy. And this judgment was coming from Kagome's conceived notion of her from when they first met.

It took a bit of time to completely comprehend Rin's story of her life; knowing that she had been attacked by wolves - Koga's wolves - made Kagome feel more sympathy toward the girl. If Kagome had known that Koga had attacked innocent humans before, she would not have had anything to do with him apart from acquaintences. But since he had changed over the time that she had 'known' him, Kagome couldn't do anything for the situation. After all, she had recently heard that Koga and Ayame got married and were expecting their first child. Kagome felt happy knowing that Ayame finally had Koga within her reach while she herself had InuYasha.

"Kagome?'

"Sorry, kind of dazed out for a minute," Kagome chuckled sheepishly.

"Kagome.. have you and InuYasha ever thought about having children?" Rin asked curiously, yet her tone was serious which led Kagome to believe she had thought of this question over the time period she and InuYasha had stayed over at Sesshomaru's castle.

"To be honest, we're waiting until the time is right. But we both do love children." Kagome added as an afterthought.

Rin blinked slowly, trying to process the information that Kagome had given her. "InuYasha loves children?" It was hard to believe, seeing that Rin did not know InuYasha very well; at their first meeting, Rin could tell that he was a little defensive, but she also had a distinct feeling that there was a lot more to him than one might have figured.

Kagome giggled. "He may not show it, but, I know he cares. He just shows it in a different way from what everyone else is used to."

"Same could be said about Lord Sesshomaru. He just shows me he cares when we are alone together," Rin said. To be honest, Rin had a thought if he was perfectly embarassed about being with her and if that was the reason why he did not show public displays of affection. Yet that thought disappeared altogether when his mother explained to her some of the customs of the Dog Demon clan.

**)( Flashback )(**

_It was incredible how Rin could tolerate certain people in the public eye, but that was only if her lord was around. However, she knew that there would be a time when there would only be certain conversations that could only be discussed by the same gender. In other words, Lord Sesshomaru's mother was wanting to speak with her. _

_When Rin was a child, she was not aware of Sessmom's extremely dramatic behavior, but when growing up she had learned from Lord Sesshomaru himself that she had a tendency to enjoy drama. In other words, she could pretend to be sensitive to arouse guilt from nearby people (such as Rin if she blatantly but unintentionally insulted her) or she could act so, so happy if her family came to visit her. Rin wanted to ask Lord Sesshomaru why she acted this way, but he did not give her an answer. _

_Considering the fact that Rin had some confidence to visit with Lord Sesshomaru's mother - whom she had yet to learn her name - Lord Sesshomaru did not seem like the type to let her go that easily. _

_"My Lord, I am healed now." Rin tried to say to her Lord, but then she felt his hands rub her abdomen in a loving, gentle manner. _

_"You are not completely healed. You must rest," Lord Sesshomaru stated simply, his concern shining through his honey, crysal eyes. He then lowered his lips to kiss Rin's head. Rin did not stop him from doing so, since his kiss and his touch felt pleasing to the senses. Thus Rin smiled. She thought it was sweet that Lord Sesshomaru was concerned for her; it showed that he truly cared for her. _

_"I can't keep resting, my Lord. Our marriage ceremony is coming up. Would you rather wait?"_

_"Do not say such silly things. You are mine either way," Sesshomaru growled huskily, as he kissed Rin deeply. _

_Rin could not help but blush as he said this; sometimes, it still astonished Rin how he caged feelings for her. But Rin would never do anything to change them. She felt the same way about Lord Sesshomaru, after all. _

_"Sesshomaru! You naughty child! You are not supposed to be declaring your love for her until the wedding!" _

_Rin couldn't help but notice Lord Sesshomaru's affectionate expression turning into annoyance and the usual emotionless statue that he once was. Rin was not angry per se about Sessmom interrupting the two of them, but she wished that she could have explained her welfare to her lord in their private chamber. _

_"Mother, are you done with the ceremonial planning?" Sesshomaru raised an eyebrow, looking toward his mother in faint interest. _

_"Can't you be happy to see your mother once in a while?" Sessmom pouted, sighing in a dramatic fashion. "But yes, the preparations are complete."_

_"What is the honour of your presence?" Rin could tell that Lord Sesshomaru was definitely annoyed, though he asked this in a calm manner. _

_"Lady Rin, do you see how your intended treats me? I find it completely unnecessary. Anyways, I find this time the perfect time to chat." And so, Sesshomaru's mother glanced into Rin's eyes - with the hidden intention that she was implying Rin. _

_Rin didn't think that she would have a choice in the matter; after all, she had a feeling that this woman could easily convince anyone. Besides, Rin thought that she needed the companionship as she listened to her say that she had no good company to enjoy. _

_**:3 :3 :3**_

_Once Rin and Sessmom entered the guest room, where she was currently living in until the marriage ceremony was completed, Rin felt things had become even more awkward between the two of them. For one, what could Rin possibly say to Lord Sesshomaru's mother? She didn't know her long enough to speak her mind about most things that she was obviously thinking about. After all, Rin assumed that she was going to be the Lady - after hearing her say herself that she was called "Lady Rin". _

_Sesshomaru's mother was a difficult person to judge - seeing that she also had the same facial expression that was painted bland. There were times when she could act extremely emotional or simply without emotion. Which was probably the reason why Rin was anxious about this talk. _

_Rin was also assuming that this meeting was more about the consummation of the marriage than anything else, and once again (not to Rin's surprise) she found herself anxious. Talking about her lack of knowledge of an intimate life, Rin knew, could be more than awkward. _

_"You are wondering why I have brought you here to speak, aren't you?" was the first calm, neatly spoken sentence that Lord Sesshomaru's mother had spoken to her since she began leading Rin through the hallway. _

_Sessmom sat down on her knees, trying to make herself comfortable. She would also try to make the girl feel more welcome; after all, she was the only woman capable of taming her son. She found this to be a benefit to this union. _

_"Yes, Lady Mother," Rin bowed her head in respect. _

_"Oh please, call me Mother. We will be family soon," Sessmom winked toward the girl who was nearly flushing with embarrassment. _

_"Alright, Mother," Rin tested out the new vocabulary word and to be honest, she was surprised that she felt next to no awkward tension build up inside her as she spoke clearly. _

_"Anyways, there is much we need to discuss. Firstly, when the ceremony is over, you will not be a proper lady until you have been fully educated in the Dog Clan's ways."_

_Rin then understood that this discussion would turn out to be a long one, but she wouldn't complain. _

_"The Dog Demon Clan are the most respectable monarchs in these lands. Their education of politics and economy, as well as the formal art of entertainment, always have been taught by the noble tutors from distant lands. The point is, that you are never to belittle yourself - since you will be married to my son - even if you are not one of the female dogs." Rin tried to process what Sesshomaru's mother was telling her; was it alright for her to act arrogant in front of others? But Rin held no sort of arrogant behavior within her physical body or her mind. Not to mention that she was not the type of person to do so. _

_"However, in order to make an impression on noble visitors, the lady of the household must not maintain eye contact but they may be allowed to bow. The lady must also look presentable; they should be dressed in the colour of their clan and they should be feeling proud while looking the part. Maids are to assist one in dressing and in the process of enhancing one's beautiful features. That is one of my secrets, Rin," Sessmom could not help but giggle. "Anyways, the lady will only speak when spoken to. The point of this is to show that the females must be submissive and shown as such, though in my experience, I have been the one that has dominated."_

_"But enough with all this political trash. There is another thing that I must talk with you about."_

_"What is it, Mother?" _

_"Children."_

_Rin could not help but tense as she heard Lord Sesshomaru's mother bring up the subject that seems to be quite popular around the castle. _

_"It is important for the wife of the Lord to provide him with heirs. Then there is every reason to pass on the family legacy as well as the lands that they will inherit when they are much more mature. However, the Dog Clan has always been strict about the order that children inherit."_

_This lesson had given Rin a little thought as well as some doubts. Such as what if there was a possibility that Rin could not bear Lord Sesshomaru an heir? But the main question was.. how did this 'intimate' process work? _

_Once again, Rin was embarrassed that she had not taken the time to let Lady Sango and Lady Kagome explain to her how the consummation of the marriage must play only explained to her the essential 'desires' that were formed between the man and woman -not necessarily of the same race. _

_"You must be wondering, how babies are born? Well, it is simple.. When a female in heat and a male in desire want each other very much..."_

**)( End of Flashback )(**

Rin's blush increased in colour, remembering the rest of the conversation that flowed between her and Lord Sesshomaru's mother the rest of the afternoon. Rin never thought of any perverse, detailed thoughts such as the ones described to her by Lady Mother. Yet Rin had been curious to know, and to be honest, she never thought that was the way babies were made. But then again, she had not been truly educated in such ways. Now she had been taught by the Lady Mother.. Rin was to say the least nervous; maybe even shaking in fright to see how her night with Lord Sesshomaru would turn out. She was not experienced, which made it all the more reason to be pressured.

She knew that Lord Sesshomaru would most likely be experienced - which made her deflate in confidence. Maybe this would not be the first time that he had 'made love' (which was how Lady Mother put it...) to someone. Maybe he would be disappointed that she didn't know what she was doing. And Rin was never the type to disappoint her lord.

How she could tell Kagome of these fears, she had no clue. What would she think of her?

But Lady Kagome seemed to be a nice, kind person - much like herself. She was bubbly and had a decent personality, not to mention that she also had experience with love with InuYasha.

"Come on, Rin. You do realize that Sesshomaru's mother will be sad not seeing you there at the altar with her son."

That sentence was all the motivation that Rin needed to head her butt out the hall and outside to the glorious meadow where the ceremony would take place.

**:3 :3 :3**

Sesshomaru's first glimpse of his intended practically made him drool in delight, at least not physically (he would never do such a foolish thing in public). But when he saw her made her way down the fresh path that led to him... his first thoughts were similar to 'she must be an angel'. At that moment, he only believed that she was the most precious, the most beautiful woman... no one else could replace his perfect Rin..

He noticed how she was dressed in the elegant kimono - snow white, as it were - that hugged her petite body; though the kimono itself was expensive and was deemed to be one only meant for wealthy demonesses to wear, that did not matter. In Sesshomaru's mind, the only one worthy enough to wear such a gorgeous piece was his Rin.

Her eyes were glowing a radiant chocolate, her lips were pink, smooth and kissable.. Her cheeks were painted with a natural rouge, and it all made her the more lovely to stare at. The sunshine that was surrounding the wedding participants and the guests made its way to her, in general. He could practically see her basking in the warmth of the sun...Sesshomaru could detect her nervous feelings. Yet he would be the one to calm them..

When she made his way to him, with a moment not too soon, Sesshomaru could not help but adore the smile that was plastered onto her face as she gazed in no one else's direction but his own. It was perfectly fine with him; he did not want Rin to smile at anyone else except for him.

**:3 :3 :3**

The ceremony proceeded with the exchange of rings; Sesshomaru presented her with a silver band that engraved their names in the traditional format. Rin's heart beat reached to a climax as she accepted it, cherishing the affectionate gesture. She smiled pleasantly as she presented Sesshomaru with her own token of love: though she had help from his mother of course. His ring was the same colour but there were different words; Sesshomaru could not help but be astonished (without physically appearing so) reading them - which proclaim "forever with you, Lord Sesshomaru".

The next part of the wedding followed, and it went smoothly. Since Rin was not a drinker of any sort, the amount of sake that was meant to be ingested by both groom and bride was reduced. Meaning that Rin did not drink as much as the traditional wedding rule seemed to imply.

Even after this, Rin could not help but feel as though there was no other place she would rather be. Especially since there was one last thing to do.

Sesshomaru had been her first kiss and Rin would not change that; but the flutter of butterflies could be heard from within her stomach.

When their lips finally met, passion and love erupted between them. The kiss, which was meant to be short and pure, turned out to be the opposite. It was long, feverish but it was still filled with adoration with each other. Sesshomaru held Rin closer to him, never wanting to depart this moment. Her lips felt perfectly smooth against his own - and they tasted even more delicious and scrumptious than he had assumed.

After the ceremony was over, Sesshomaru felt.. complete. There was no where else he would rather be.. than to be at Lady Rin's side.

**:3 :3 :3**

**Oh God: Sessmom and Rin's encounter was just so fun to write! ^_^ Though the last thing that Sessmom said made me laugh out loud, he he. **

**But Sesshy and Rin finally got married, and there is still one last thing they need to do to fully complete it (if you know what I mean, LOL).**

**So.. do please review! I would really like to hear what you think :)**


	19. A United Kingdom

**I am very sorry for not updating as frequent as I should be! Honestly, you guys are so lucky I only have two finals to write. Unfortunately, I have final projects in classes that I do not have a final exam in. But I hope that you guys enjoy this chapter! Speaking of reviewers...**

**Thank you goes out to:**

**- ****samy-sama**: Glad to hear you like long chapters; if you thought that chapter was long, wait until you see this one! ^_^ And when Sessmom was telling Sesshomaru about wanting puppy eared grandchildren, you can pretty much tell that she has a mouth that does all the talking, he he. And as for your question regarding Sessmom and Rin, the rest of the flashback pretty much consisted of the 'talk' (YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN...). I'm also pretty sure that Rin was completely embarrassed by her wording. Poor Rin!

- **anon**: Have I met you somewhere before?... LOL. Thank you for your wonderful compliment; I'm trying to be a much better writer in the future. You can pretty much guess what I want to be when I graduate, he he. Thanks for reviewing too! :)

- **Deadman19**: Really? Did you actually think that the convo with Sessmom was funny? Thank you! I actually didn't think that would make anyone laugh :P Thanks for your review :)

- **icegirljenni**: To be honest with you, you are just going to have to read the chapter, darn it! ^_^ Just from reading your other part of the gracious review you left for me, I just realized that Sessmom is very open with her concerns without any regard about their open humiliation to how she puts it out there, LOL. I'm just guessing that she's desperate for grandkids. :P

- **Moonlight Mermaid**: If I want a best friend forever in life, it's going to have to be Sessmom; either that, or a mother in law. Yeah! XD Thanks for reviewing :3

**IF YOU GUYS DO NOT ENJOY READING A PIECE CONTAINING INTIMATE ACTIONS, DO NOT READ THE FIRST PART OF THIS CHAPTER! THIS IS MY ONLY WARNING :P **

**Chapter 18**

The wedding night between the Western Lord and the mortal woman started out with a passionate kiss; a kiss filled with love and devotion to one another. Sesshomaru knew his fate was to only this one girl as he tasted her divine, sweetened lips - which are as delicious as strawberries. Rin knew that she was only faithful to one man as she felt his lips guide her into a passionate, slow waltz and the feel of his chilling, safe embrace surround her helped her relax under his touch.

The romantic tension between them was, without a doubt, quite obvious - especially in the eyes of the Dog Demon lord; his seductive, golden eyes glowed brilliantly in the dark and they were perfectly capable of detecting any sort of movement or any feelings that resembled anxiety and regret. Yet he did not take note of the latter, as his lips left Rin's enticing rosy, smooth ones and latched themselves unto her neck. He could hear her moan in pleasure and even then, Sesshomaru made a mission to make sure that he pleasured this woman. He placed an unknown number of exceedingly scorching, blazing kisses upon her skin and his tongue made sure to lick it cleanly. He knew that Rin was not disgusted with this action, which made him continue with his current actions. Sesshomaru was tempted to bite her as well, after hearing her blood race under her epidermis, but he did not want to frighten her.

His hands, which were once used to serve one purpose, gently roamed over her body; though they ached to do much more than this. Sesshomaru pulled away from Rin's neck, looking intently into her eyes. Actions spoke louder than words.

Rin gave her consent by nodding, not wanting to displease her lord, but she had wanted this too. She was yearning for him to touch her and she was desperate for his kisses. It was amazing how he had left her wanting; it was as though he were the one dragging her on a leash. Rin continued to stare into his crysal eyes, which were filled with yearning and love. He wanted her - just as much as she wanted him. She could feel herself melt under his gaze, and it made her heart pound against her chest in excitement..

Sesshomaru then led her to the soft bedding that the husband and wife would share for their married days; once again, his compassionate hands lifted her and laid her down unto the comfortable futon. He crawled on top of her, once again, his eyes staring deeply into Rin's chocolate orbs; he noticed that her breathing patterns were slightly erotic, since a part of her kimono had showed him a generous amount of skin. Her lips parted and Sesshomaru had seen a dainty tongue lick them before slipping back into the dark caverns. He knew then that she was waiting for him to woo her. How could he deny such a request?

He decided to start kissing her rosy lips once more, as his hair cascaded downward to create a makeshift waterfall that protected them being ever so gazed upon by other people. Rin moaned in delight, reciprocating the slow yet addicting kiss as her hands immediately cupped his head - pulling him closer to her. The kiss began to quicken in pace; Rin's instinct to make it a battle for dominance made it slightly difficult for Sesshomaru to stay in his current position. Her enthusiasm for this to occur knew no bounds as Sesshomaru's lips instinctively pulled away from the kiss, much to Rin's disappointment.

He kissed, his way down feverishly where he met her collarbone, and he also noticed that she still had her kimono. Sesshomaru growled, noting that this was not acceptable. He did not even need to inquire if she was overheating; he simply ripped the cloth from her body, none too gently. Though the kimono was beautiful and elegant, he much rather preferred Rin without clothes.

Meanwhile, Rin was not surprised that he torn her kimono into pieces; she assumed that he must be impatient. She could feel the cold breeze infiltrate her skin, causing her to shiver in discomfort and her arms crossed over her chest.

Sesshomaru had noticed this, but he was not pleased that she had covered herself. It was as though she did not think she was beautiful enough to gain his attention. He narrowed his eyes but stayed silent. He used one of his hands to carefully pluck the arm covering her chest, all the while gazing into her eyes.. There were no words spoken between them, but Rin could perfectly understand - just from his heated glance in her direction - that she should not trouble herself into thinking that she was not pretty.

An embarrassed blush, the colour of crimson, painted over her facial features as she complied to his request. That was then she silently wondered if he thought that her physical appearance was not as what he expected, since he was simply looking over her. She bit her lip as she patiently waited for his inspection to pass.

Sesshomaru had difficulty remaining under restraint; the feast presented before him, consisting of Rin's bountiful breasts, was tempting to the senses. His beast wanted to be let out, but Sesshomaru easily denied this request. Instead, he licked his lips, pleased of the sight of Rin's chest bare before him. He wanted to bring her much delight and extreme pleasure, and so his hunger was let out. He placed soothing kisses upon her throat and quickly went down to her right breast.

Rin could not help but cry out in ectsacy, feeling warm lips around her breast.. she felt his hot mouth engorge one of her private areas - the area that only Lord Sesshomaru could have permission to touch. Her hands fled to his ivory, silk hair and enjoyed feeling the smooth texture under her fingertips. As Sesshomaru continued to suckle on Rin like a newborn pup for a few minutes, his other hand went to cup her other chest piece and massaging it soothly. Her hands went straight to his ears, and stroked them. Sesshomaru growled.

Before Rin knew what was happening next, the same process of compassionate, accepting treatment switched to her other breast. She moaned softly, enjoying this feeling being presented to her.

It wasn't until when he stopped his movements that Rin had seen that he was still fully clothed; to be honest, she thought that it was unfair that she was receiving these kinds of attentions while he simply did not care to realize that. And so her hands slid down his neck like a serpent and they found their way to his shoulders. She found her inner strength to roughly tear the silk materials apart, releasing him from captivity.

Sesshomaru realized what she was planning to do, and thus helped her shred off the remaining kimono off of his body. His hakamas went as well, meaning that it did not take Rin long to notice that the both of them were bare.

But Rin's thoughts vanished into the air as she took in the sight of the man - or rather the demon that captured her heart; she simply thought that he was beautiful. His hair, pin-straight and celestial, heavenly white as it was, fell down his shoulders. Yet it did not prevent Rin from looking downward to his chest. Rin could not help but drop her jaw in amazement; his whole body was chiselled in a way that he may be Kami himself - seeing that the muscles he was born with proudly shown themselves to her. Even though the room was only lit with a fair amount of candles, the sight of him basking in the fiery light, appearing to be an angel was not disappointing to her.

Sesshomaru secretly increased his confidence, knowing that Rin enjoyed the sight of him. He adored the way she seemed to be embarassed; he loved how she blushed in mortification and how her eyes seemed to wander down his body... he also noticed that they held lust..

It was like time had stopped altogether as the two beings silently scrutinized each other's bodies in obvious contentment. Sesshomaru craved touching her curvaceous body, whilst Rin also had the urge to touch him. It was only natural that Rin started to do so but she was nervous.

Her hands slowly drifted down to his pectoral muscles, and even lower (to the point of his crotch) but her touch seemed like a feather's touch; Sesshomaru growled, wanting to feel more of her.. So his right hand gripped unto Rin's, and helped her reach the destination that he had in mind. In other circumstances, Rin would be embarrassed of this happening, but she had been informed that this was perfectly natural.

Sesshomaru helped her stroke the problem, of course meaning his erection, to the point that he huskily moaned his pleasure; Rin could even hear him groan in absolute ecstacy as she squeezed him harder and stroked him faster. She knew this would please him - seeing that the awkward conversation with her and Lord Sesshomaru's mother still planted in her mind.

Sesshomaru then had enough of this foolish game; he wanted to claim her as his. Sesshomaru kissed Rin in a delicate manner, silently telling her that he would regret the upcoming pain that she would undoubtedly feel.. Rin's heartbeat fastened - even quicker than a bird in flight. Her eyes widened, suddenly knowing the reason behind his kiss...

At this point, Rin knew this had to occur; he had to be inside her.. She gulped, feeling nausea overtake her stomach. Yet she told herself that it was the mortal terror speaking to her. She could not be afraid; Lord Sesshomaru was reasoning with her that he would try to make things painless.

"Rin," was the first word that escaped the confinement of his lips, as he breathed against her own. He kissed her solemnly, as means of distraction as he prepared to enter her...

To be perfectly honest, Rin felt as though she were going to die as his hips crashed into her own; it could only mean that he had gone inside her.. the pain was horrific - and it was like she was going to be torn apart. Rin felt tears leak, and they ran down her cheeks as she screamed in agony. Sesshomaru kissed her again, once again, apologizing in his own way; he hated hearing her cry, much less scream. It merely reminded him of the memory of her nearly dying..

A few moments into this transaction of burying himself in her, Rin then only felt warmth engulf her from the inside; she felt as though she was going to explode, yet she kept that to herself. It was a pleasant feeling and she had to admit that she did not want it to end. She then moved her hips upward, to match with his pace, but he was not moving very fast; he had given her time to adjust.

"Lord.. Lord Sesshomaru," Rin mewed as though she were a kitten. She wanted more.. she wanted more of it. "More.. Please.."

He kissed her with brutal strength and dominance as he gave into her request; he increased his pace and he practically moaned in pleasure in her mouth as he felt her hands clench themselves to his back. Her fingernails staked themselves in, but they didn't simply stay in one place.

"Rin.." He was about to lose control, feeling his beast wanting to step in and interfere. He then heard her call his name - using the honourific title. At that moment, he hated it. He hated it when she called him this; he was to become her mate, and vice versa. He wanted to simply hear his name only.. "Say my name." He commanded before kissing her neck, leaving small bite marks on her skin.

"Sesshomaru," She called out, as she had released the pent up energy inside her..

Sesshomaru, after hearing her bold declaration, decided that he must mark her while she was still basking in the aftermath of the orgasmic release. He knew that this was the only way to fully ensure that Rin would belong to no one else; this was the only way that she would remain safe. By becoming his mate, she would always remain under his protection.

Rin felt her heart stop as she felt fangs pierce her skin.. more tears started to release themselves, and they cascaded down her cheeks. She whimpered and held unto her lord tightly - never wanting to let him go. After the passionate round of.. love-making, she had been informed that he was to mark her.

She knew that the pain was getting to the point when it was unbearable; Rin had started to fall asleep, yet she didn't want to. She wanted to tell him that she loved him.. "Sesshomaru.. I.. love.. you." That was all she managed to say before she fell unconscious - still holding unto him with her life.

Sesshomaru heard her say them, and he wanted to say anything that would let her know that he felt the same way.. yet she was not awake anymore to hear him. His fangs pulled out of her, and he looked at her angelic, sleeping form. He rolled over, and had her on top of him; he embraced her.. lovingly and kissed her forehead. Now that they were together.. nothing could ever come in between them. Sesshomaru would not allow it.

**IT IS NOW SAFE TO READ PEOPLE, IF YOU SKIPPED THE FIRST PART!**

Peace. A feeling that Rin hadn't felt in a long time. She felt perfectly content, lying in her lover's arms. Or rather, her husband's arms, which were fiercly pinning her effectively to his chest in a protective embrace. Yet Rin still had the ability to breathe and to remain comfortable just lying there. There was no where else she would rather be than in the safe presence of Sesshomaru.

She blushed, as she remembered every detail of her wedding night; to simply put it, it was perfect. He was.. comforting when it was getting painful for her, and he made her experience feelings that she never had in her life. She remembered how he kissed her.. she remembered how he touched her... Her blush grew larger, thinking about the assault on her chest. Though her body was physically sore from the night's activities, she was feeling fine mentally and emotionally.

Rin remembered hearing her wanting to say his name - without a title of any sort. She knew that he would most likely want her to call him that for the rest of their marriage, but it would still be a habit to call him Lord Sesshomaru. No matter what he said, he would always be her lord.

After all what had happened, with Masato's attempt to seperate them, there was a happy ending. Rin knew that without Sesshomaru, would there be a life worth living? She would always love him - no matter if there was an accident that would turn him into a human or if he would be blind for the rest of his life. But Rin was not willing to imagine any of these scenarios..

"Rin.." All of a sudden, she felt lips on her neck, purposely drawing her attention back to Sesshomaru. Rin couldn't help but sigh in relaxation, and delight, as he kissed it soothingly. The mark was a lot to endure and she didn't put up much of a fight with it.

"L.. Sesshomaru," Rin replied, relieved that she didn't say 'Lord Sesshomaru'.

"Do not think of such silly things."

Rin couldn't help but giggle, "So.. you are saying that my imaginations of us repeating the last night's performance as being - silly?"

"Do not compare my performance in bed to such nonsense." She then felt his hands rub her stomach in a loving and caring way. "Nor should you ever think of putting our pup in that kind of stress." And with that, he continued with his tasks: breathing in the sweet scent of his mate, and caressing her stomach in a delicate manner.

Rin gasped; her eyes widened, her heart nearly stopped as she heard the news. She was.. pregnant? She was going to have a baby - or rather a pup?

"What is the matter?" Sesshomaru asked, his nose still buried in her neck - never wanting to escape the confinements of her warm skin that soothed him..

"Our pup.. wouldn't it be half-demon?" Rin asked quietly, suddenly tensing up as she awaited for her lord's answer.

"Our pup will be, yes, but it will be strong." He reassured her with this thought; Sesshomaru knew then that she was worried that he would reject her for offering a half-demon pup to him, as well as the pup. She was foolish for thinking of such thoughts.

However, before either Rin or Sesshomaru could fully appreciate their new-found ability to reproduce in one night, as well as being new proud parents, they did not expect anyone to barge into the room - practically screaming in joy.

"Wake up, Sesshomaru, you must go and tend for your mate! After all.. she is providing you with a pup.. A very adorable, gorgeous pup," Sessmom rambled on, radiating in happiness and delight that she has finally gotten her grandchild. She couldn't help but giggle at the last thought: she will have her grandchild with puppy ears! Ah.. life was being good to her.

Rin was mortified: not that she would ever proclaim this statement to Sesshomaru's mother, but did she truly have no shame? Did the thought of her son and her daughter-in-law naked in bed not bother her? Clearly it did to Rin as she covered herself with the silk blanket. However, Sesshomaru was more pissed than anything.

"Mother, is there a reason why you have disrespectfully entered this Sesshomaru's chambers without permission?" He said, his voice filled with annoyance.

Sessmom giggled. "No need to get angry with me, son, but this is a joyous time indeed! Now, we need to come up with names for the child."

**:3 :3 :3**

Kagome shrieked in joy, as well as clapping her hands in congratulations, as well as proclaiming it to her friend. "You're going to be a mother now and in a short time too," Kagome added, her voice filled with curiosity - unaware of the mortified expression planted on Rin's facial features.

Sango and Miroku also voiced out their happiness toward the couple, but more or so they told it to Rin. "Congratulations, Rin. Your child will be just as beautiful as you," Miroku complimented Rin, and her blush deepened. Sesshomaru, however, was more or less concerned of Miroku's underlying message in that sentence.

InuYasha, however, didn't seem to know what the big deal was. If Kagome was pregnant, then yeah, he would be happy, but since this was Sesshomaru's child.. that put a raincloud in his sunny sky. He snorted. "Let's hope the kid doesn't turn out to be a mini-Sesshomaru."

Rin blanched at the thought, her skin tone paling, while Miroku and Sango shook their heads in disappointment yet they knew that they should have expected this out of their friend. Kagome grabbed one of his dog ears and said, "InuYasha, that was very rude."

"But it's true!" InuYasha barked, before meeting the unamused, cold stare of Sesshomaru.

"And let us hope that your future children will not inherit such audacious behavior." Amazingly, the two didn't even start a fight at all, even though the newlywed couple and their guests were outside near the cherry blossom meadow. It was a beautiful day, with the sun spreading its cheer and warmth throughout the land, and the sky was a crystal blue and no clouds were in sight.

"Fine. Congrats, I guess," that was the closest that InuYasha could ever say in terms of an acceptable apology toward his elder brother.

"So Rin, do you think you're going to have a son or a daughter?"

Rin chuckled sheepishly at Sango's question. "I don't think it matters. I would love it just the same." Kagome and Sango nodded in understanding; Rin held no favouritism for anyone and they didn't think that she would be the type of person to be disappointed to learn what the gender is when the pup was born.

"The pup will be welcomed as it is," Sesshomaru said coldly, and that put an end to the discussion of the genders. But this did not put an end to the overall conversation.

"I just can't believe that I'm going to be an auntie," Kagome was glowing with happiness, and Rin didn't blame her.

"Unfortunately, I'm going to be an uncle," InuYasha grumbled, but Kagome didn't let him get away with such a sarcastic comment; therefore, he took back the comment with another one. 'sorry'.

"How long do pregnancies last in the dog demon culture?" Miroku wondered out loud. Sango was also thinking of the same question.

"Sesshomaru's mother told me that I'll give birth in four months."

Sango and Kagome were shocked to say the least, since they were not aware of the length of time that a half-demon would be produced (especially in this culture of dog demons). Miroku nodded, processing the information.

"So the kid's pretty much going to expand in size?" InuYasha scoffed, obviously not afraid to speak his opinion in front of everyone in the area. Rin paled at the thought of 'expanding', meaning... was she going to become huge like what her brother-in-law was suggesting?

"InuYasha.. SIT!" Even after all this time, InuYasha had hoped that Kagome would have taken off the rosary beads, but it was to everyone else's amusement that he would never get them off. His attitude still needed some adjusting. "I can't believe you said that to Rin!"

"Well, it's true, ain't it? Don't all pregnant women get fat?"

Sesshomaru widened his eyes in anger, and he was practically seeing red. He was not feeling particularly magnanimous that day.. Insulting the mate of Lord Sesshomaru of the West was clearly a death warrant and his brother had to make the mistake of signing his own. Sesshomaru would have killed him for suggesting such a thing, but once again, the priestess 'sat' him at least ten times.

Everyone in the vicinity noticed that InuYasha would never change.

**:3 :3 :3**

**So how'd you like the chapter? Did you like the part when Sessmom burst in when her son was nude and in bed? with Rin? HA! :) It made me LOL (STILL DOES! :D)**

**Please review - I'd really like to know what you think! :3**


	20. Bound To Be

**Looks like I've got plenty of feedback about Sessmom! LOL. She just kills me; bursting into her son's room when there could be a chance that Sesshomaru and Rin would be doing the nasty with no fear at all makes me laugh. I'm glad that you guys enjoyed that! ^_^**

**Thank you goes out to...**

**- ****Deadman19**: It was my intention to make you laugh. I still can't believe that it actually worked; so should I change the genre to Humour instead of drama? LOL.

- **Moonlight Mermaid**: I know, I know: Sessmom's super crazy - who actually comes up with their kids names at the spot? Especially if it's the grandma wanting to do all the discussing. :P I am so happy that you thought that the scene with InuYasha was hilarious: I just took his rude and obnoxious character into account. Honestly, wouldn't that be just careless of me to not throw in something like a scene like this?

- **samy-sama**: Now that you mention it, there may be a time when Sesshomaru will ask how Rin ever learned these things; she replies, 'your mom' and he's like.. blasted woman. Anyways, was the last chapter emotional for you in a good way or a bad way? :P And yes, a mini-Sesshomaru may possibly haunt InuYasha for the rest of his life if he doesn't quit with the comments. LOL.

- **icegirljenni**: Who said that she's getting a grandson? Oops, did I say that? Anywho... if Sessmom ever broke into my room if I was doing the nasty with Sesshomaru.. I would be speechless, mortified and just.. embarrassed. He he. Sessmom is the one person that I would like to have as a mother in law though - she's quite awesome and hilarious :) And thank you very much for your words of advice! You make my day all the time! :)

**- ****jinglyjess**: I'm just going to take your word for it, he he.

**Chapter 19**

The night was dark, cold and frightening. At least, that was what Rin thought to herself countless times as she layed awake with her eyes wide open. There was no chance that she was going to fall asleep. She was scared. And there was a good reason why.

The next day, her husband was going to announce their union to all of the lands. The reason why Rin was so scared was because of the reaction of the demons. What if they mocked him for taking a human as a wife? What if they disapprove greatly? What if they decide to kill Sesshomaru for such actions?

Rin hoped with all of her heart that the last thought in her mind would not happen. She loved him too much to let anyone take him from her. He was the father of her child.. if he died, who could protect Rin and their child from the cruel outside world? Who could protect them from being subjugated to the horrible prejudices of half-breeds?

Rin was not oblivious to the servants' true personalities in the castle; she could have sworn that the maids (or at least most of them) did not take kindly for their master to sate his desires in for a human. Rin made sure that she was not to become close with them at all. Sesshomaru's mother had told her that there were those in the castle that hated this new union. Thus, this started the eruption of Rin's paranoia that she could possibly get murdered in her sleep.

"Rin," Sesshomaru whispered before tightening his protective arms around his mate's stomach, as he lowered his nose to her neck and simply basked in the addicting scent of flowers.. she smelt heavenly, and he knew that he would never tire himself of it. "Is there a reason why you are unable to sleep?"

"I'm just scared," Rin said, about to moan in pleasure as she then felt his lips place reassuring, comforting kisses on her neck.

"Why are you frightened?" He managed to growl out, before he went back to calming down his wife with his soft touches and his hot kisses.

"I'm worried about the baby and I'm worried about you," Rin replied. She prayed that he didn't think that she was foolish for thinking these thoughts; wasn't it normal for her to feel paranoid about other people killing her and her baby simply because they didn't like her?

"Do not trouble yourself with such thoughts. This Sesshomaru will protect you and the pup."

Rin still couldn't help but flush a colourful red upon her cheekbones. Her stomach was invaded by butterflies while her heartbeat slowed down to a patient pace. Hearing such bold declarations of love (or at least, phrases that resemble them) from Sesshomaru made her feel.. loved and special. But Rin knew it would take time for her to get used to it - seeing that she was raised in a village where no one accepted her.

"What about everyone else? What about the other lands?" That was a concern that was still pressed deep into Rin's mind.

"This Sesshomaru will deal with them. They are no consequence to you." But even that remark still didn't comfort Rin. She still wasn't feeling entirely sure that she, as well as her pup, would be safe.

"But they are," Rin mumbled quietly, but she was sure that Sesshomaru could still hear her.

"What is it that you are unsure of?"

"Surely they can't approve of a demon and a human being together; if they find out.. they would try to kill you. I can't deal with that." Rin knew that she was stating the obvious, but it was worrying her nonetheless.

"Someone great such as I will never fall to the hand of a band of demons."

"But your father died protecting InuYasha's mother, and he was strong, wasn't he?" Rin couldn't help but raise her voice a little. As much as she wanted to hear his calm, smooth words trying to comfort her, Rin was a little frustrated that he was not listening to her.

Rin shook her head mentally; was she already having the urge to pick a fight with him? She knew that she never wanted to fight with her lord, but there were circumstances when Rin didn't always agree on the same thing as Sesshomaru. Come to think of it, this was her first fight with him...

"I'm sorry," Rin apologized swiftly, immediately feeling the plethora of guilt and regret cloud her senses. Tears were stinging in her eyes - nearly unleashing themselves from the brim of her eyelids. "I just... I.. the baby.. and you.." She stumbled, trying to find the right words to say.

"You do not need to apologize to this Sesshomaru." Which was another way of saying that he accepted the apology without question, and proving that statement by kissing her on the neck one final time. "You mustn't put distress the pup." Again, which was another way of saying that he cared.

Rin fell asleep, reluctantly, and she prayed that she would not have any nightmares that would distress her throughout the pregnancy. But she was wrong.

**:3 :3 :3**

Sesshomaru did not need to tell anyone that he had mated a mortal; the news had spread across all the lands very quickly and even Sesshomaru was not surprised. Only because he knew who had told. The Panther tribe from the East.

He was considering putting an end to their interference - but even that would lead to war. Definitely an outcome that he did not need at this time.

All that he was planning to do was to enforce peace and tranquility between the West and the East; if he had to talk fluently using the means of 'negotiation' to get it, then he would.

The last thing that he wanted to do was to leave Rin to deal with the first trimester of her pregnancy, but if he was to personally reassure himself - as well as his mother - that she was safe (a full guarantee), there was no other way to settle things once and for all with the East. The Panther tribe's new leader was incompetent and stuck his nose into matters that were not his prime concern. For example, the pregnancy of said mate to the Western Dog Demon. Sesshomaru was curious and furious as to how he had found out, but he promised himself that he would not use violence as a resort unless the situation (or status quo) had changed.

"Lord Sesshomaru, I thought that you would not return," the ruler of the East proclaimed, his voice filled with relief.

"The status quo had changed; your panthers have intruded upon my land," Sesshomaru spoke calmly, maintaining his stoic composure - which would most likely scare any bystanders within the lynx's castle.

"They have done nothing wrong," Lord Liko insisted. "But even if they had, I honestly did not send them-"

"Spare this Sesshomaru your pitiful excuses," Sesshomaru interrupted, raising his voice. He was starting to lose his patience with this lynx demon. Sesshomaru would be obliged to let everyone in the vacinity know how angry he had become. "They were acquaintences with Masato; they were accomplices to my wife's kidnapping."

"I am very, very, sorry, Lord Sesshomaru. I will deal with them."

"If they wish to trespass on my lands again, they will be killed without hesitation. And you will be held responsible for these crimes."

This threat was enough to make anyone quiver in fear, but it was enough to make the lord of the East faint.

**:3 :3 :3**

Considering the fact that Sesshomaru had a mother that was 'enthusiastic' to say the least about the pup, there was no reason for Rin to decline her company. Even though Sesshomaru had been gone for what seemed to be an eternity, she felt more alone than ever - even if he did promise to her that he would return. But she wasn't surprised that she was feeling this way: her paranoia was hitting her pretty hard.

But Rin wasn't going to put that kind of stress on her baby.

She caressed her stomach, already feeling deep and unconditional love for her child. But she was nervous at the thought of giving birth to him or her in four months; if she wasn't aware that it was normal for half-demons to be conceived and being born for that amount of time, she would have serious doubts whether if the child would be healthy.

"There are things we have to discuss, young Rin," Sesshomaru's mother spoke clearly, gaining the attention of said mother-to-be.

Taking a sip of her herbal tea, Rin blinked innocently. "Such as.."

"The pup, of course," Sessmom replied gleefully.

If Rin thought she was enthusiastic before, there was no other description that could match her now. But it wasn't like Rin could voice out her true impression of Sessmom; she was going to have to get used to having a 'mother' that would constantly encourage more activities between her and her son - the kind where she'd end up expecting another pup. But there were some characteristics of Sessmom that Rin had come to notice; she cared for her son. In her own way, of course.

"I have come up with many names for the child; Kichona, Shorai, Chokorato..."

Rin blushed; although she was glad that Sesshomaru's mother was more than willing to have Rin as part of her family, there were things that slightly disturbed her. She was curious when she found out that she was pregnant with Sesshomaru, did she have the tendency to start brainstorming names?

Then she noticed that Sessmom was listing off girls' names..

"I can't believe that I will be a beautiful grandmother to a sweet, innocent princess! Ohh.." Sessmom giggled. "I have always yearned for a daughter, but as you know I am perfectly happy with Sesshomaru."

"Excuse me, did you just say that we are expecting a daughter?"

"Of course. Didn't Sesshomaru tell you?" Sessmom blinked, quite surprised that she couldn't detect a lie radiating from the girl. "That does not matter," Sessmom scoffed, waving off this detail as though it weren't really important.

"But - but how could you tell?" Rin was shocked to say the least that dog demons had keen senses, especially if it had something to do with pregnancies.

"Dog Demons tend to have a far superior sense of smell and can easily detect any change within one's body," Sessmom explained, as though it was a fairly simple subject. Rin noticed that she didn't brag about that - and she wondered if she was exhausted about explaining this concept to anyone who wished to know.

Now, Rin finally had time to think about it. She was having a daughter, and she was happy to know that she was going to have one. But she was not unaware of the customs of the Western Lands: the ruler had to have an heir. Rin didn't know if she would have her little girl becoming interested in such things, but at the same time.. she wouldn't know what her husband would think.

Now what would Sesshomaru think now that he 'knew' he was having a girl? She prayed that he wasn't disappointed with this development, but she also had a feeling that a boy would have made things 'simpler'. Maybe he would have been perfectly happy.

**:3 :3 :3**

He arrived back later on that evening, just as he had predicted. Sesshomaru was exhausted, to put it blindly. Physically, he wasn't, but mentally - he felt rather tired. He despised being a politician sometimes, representing his lands and his people. It was the first time in a long while that he actually felt this way, but he most times he pushed himself to becoming a far more worthy leader than his father had been. He pushed himself to become stronger and become nothing but. He trained himself to let go of any weaknesses that he saw fit. In time, any desire that he held that was not dealing with power and conquest had been neglected, and therefore, destroyed. This even included his father's words about love and devotion.

Dog demons did not love; they merely arranged marriages to secure important titles relevent to their bloodline and to reproduce heirs to inherit the family legacy. Inutaisho was the first one to break this unspoken rule. He paid for his wish to get along with the lesser species (in other words, he wished that no racism or any other form of prejudice would occur between humans and demons) with his life; he protected a mortal giving birth to a half-breed son.

This started the fire of discussion, as Inutaisho could have hoped. There were those who were touched by Inutaisho's will and started to agree with him. But there were others who were not particularly pleased about the union of demons and humans. They still thought it was digusting, and there was no way that their opinions would change. Sesshomaru was one of those people - he despised humans, but he hated half-demons even more. All of their existence relied simply on survival; they did not belong in the world of demons or the world of humans. They were castoffs and they disgusted both species.

But he was not that person anymore, even if his pride still did not accept that change. There was only one person who changed him and completely made him into a new person. Rin. The girl with the broken smile, when he first recalled their meeting - the meeting of fate.

She was naught but a simple girl then; she was much too innocent to know who he was. He was coping with the huge break to his pride, after witnissing his brother use the Wind Scar. Back then, he was not tolerant to any human presence. Even when his Tenseiga had brought the girl back to life, he only assumed it was another test. He did not value Tenseiga.

There was not a day that went past that Sesshomaru didn't even wonder if he hadn't brought the young girl back to life; now, he couldn't possibly imagine his life without her. She was like the sun - spreading its cheer and its warmth to those who needed it. Rin was without a doubt cheerful, rarely unhappy. Unless it had to deal with him.

There was also a time when he wondered why a human child such as her be fascinated and loyal to him - a demon? It was surprising to say the least that he did not stop her from following him - wherever he went. Over time, he had grown accustomed to her presence. And over time, he had grown fond of her.

Now that she was his wife, and his mate, she was now expecting his child. A daughter.

To be honest, a son would have made things much simpler to secure the future of the Western Lands. Yet Sesshomaru.. did not care if he had a daughter instead of a son. A long time ago, he would have been angry that he would have one, but once again, he had changed.

"Lord Sesshomaru! Lord Sesshomaru!" The shrill, very loud and personally annoying voice of Jaken squawked - snapping Sesshomaru out of his reverie.

His golden eyes locked onto Jaken's gaze - staring at him intensely. "What is it Jaken?"

"The great Lady Mother wishes to speak to you urgently! It is about Rin!"

After hearing his wife's name, Sesshomaru's eyes narrowed. He was not overly concerned that something had happened to her, since he could detect her within the castle. But he was curious, in a sense, why his mother would want to talk to him about her. From what he understood, the main concern was the pup - and there were times when his mother would start to inflict Rin with spoiled treatment. Not only was Rin embarrassed, but his mother was amused with the way she blushed. Meaning that she was oblivious (somewhat) to Rin's true emotions.

And so, Sesshomaru made his way to the throne room, where his mother would be impatiently waiting for him.

**:3 :3 :3**

"Sesshomaru, I am so pleased that you are back!" Was the first phrase that Sessmom exclaimed, seeing her son in perfect health.

Sesshomaru refrained from rolling his eyes, believing that her words were ficticious. "You wished to speak to me."

Sessmom's lips, coloured with a special brand of paint mixture of violet and crimson, pursed into a straight line - all pleasantries aside. "It is about Rin."

Sesshomaru did not reply.

"She is quite stressed, poor little thing," Sessmom put a hand to her collarbone delicately, indicating that there was a possibility that she would faint from sympathy toward her daughter in law. She added a whimper, as though to make it more believable. "I informed her of our customs the best to my ability, but there is something that you haven't told her, my son."

Sesshomaru knew that it was in his mother's character to 'blame' him for any misconceptions that occurred in certain circumstances. This was a perfect case; clearly he understood that Rin was not happy and his mother was blaming that on him.

"Did you tell her that she is expecting a girl?"

"Yes, and let me remind you, I am perfectly excited. After all, no female pups have been born in the Dog Demon Clan, in the West, for at least five hundred years." With that, she also gave a wide grin- genuine as it was, and the smile reached her crysal eyes.

Sesshomaru had always known that his mother had always wanted a daughter of her own - he was not oblivious to think that she was not disappointed when he was born. But her 'affections' for him changed when he had grown a lot bigger and a lot stronger than the average Dog Demon.

Now that he had been reminded of that fact, he secretly admitted that this child was a blessing. Yet.. when she was born, the other clans of the Dog Demons would wish to see the child as well proposing a marriage - uniting the two clans. Sesshomaru had mixed feelings about this, but he knew that he had plenty of time to ponder on the future.

"Although I suspect that she is upset because you wish to have a son."

But did anyone truly blame Rin for feeling this way? She had been told countless times, until she firmly understood, that male heirs were to be expected. It was as though she were frightened that Sesshomaru would be angry about this fact.

"Any child born of this Sesshomaru will be welcomed."

"Especially if it is a little girl," Sessmom nearly swooned, picturing the sight of the female pup that she always envisioned. What was even more adorable was the fact that her granddaughter would have puppy ears. Now she felt her life was complete.

**:3 :3 :3**

Rin was in the garden, where she should be. The sunlight gave her its warmth and comfort, and Rin accepted it - no question. She needed to feel the blazing heat. She needed to feel the cool breeze touch her skin..

Fresh tears still clung to her cheeks; she couldn't help but feel upset, after all. There was a reason for her to feel overwhelmed. She placed a hand on her belly, rubbing it softly. She vowed to love her baby.. her little girl.

Rin was afraid that Sesshomaru would not accept her; simply because she was not the heir that the West wanted. She was aware that the heirs were supposed to be male - only they were capable of inheriting the lands, as well as the family legacy.

Over the past few days, she was absolutely terrified of his reaction. She had pictured him to be furious that a girl was to be born of this union. Which led her to believe that he would be disappointed. But the absolute worst vision that she imagined.. was him taking another wife.

That was enough for her to break into tears completely, as her heart shattered. Rin would not deny that she would absolutely be heartbroken if her mate was to choose another. She loved him too much..

Rin shook her head; refusing to shed anymore tears. Today was the day that her mate would return from the East. She had been informed that he was to go there to complete unfinished business. She had suspected that it had something to do with the Panther tribe, from what she overheard. But it didn't matter at this point.

"Rin, why are you crying?" The smooth, baritone voice interrupted Rin's thoughts and fears. She knew that it was Sesshomaru.. her heart beat faster and faster.. she knew that she was anxious enough. She tried to reply to him, but no words came out of her mouth.

She felt strong arms envelop her.. she could feel his heart pounding against her back.. it was beating quite fast. Like her own. Rin then felt lips kiss her hair.. as well as his nose breathing in her scent. "Do not shed tears. This Sesshomaru cannot stand hearing you cry."

"Sesshomaru.." A faint blush appeared on her pale, porcelain skin.

"Our child is a blessing. Do not assume that I am not pleased. There hasn't been a female pup in the West for a long, long, long, time." His lips lowered themselves to her neck. He gently brushed away the strands of raven hair - the scent addicting as always - and kissed her neck.

"You are pleased?" Rin asked. The answer to her question was in the form of his hand caressing her stomach in a loving way.. She couldn't help but lean against her lord - feeling his touch relaxed her to the core.

"Do not doubt this Sesshomaru."

Those were the only words spoken as he turned her around to meet him.. his eyes were filled with longing.. her eyes were filled with hope and desires..

Lips met in a fiery, desperate and passionate kiss. As Rin returned the kiss with equal love. Tears ran down her face.. but they were happy tears. She was finally happy; she was with her lord, and she was to expect a little girl.. Her life was now complete.

**:3 :3 :3**

**I am very sorry about the wait, but I think it's worth it - don't you? After all, school's out, summer's here and I have plenty of time to update my stories! ^_^**

**We have the epilogue coming up next.. it should be up in a few days. Believe me on that, LOL!**


	21. Epilogue

**It's been quite a while, hasn't it? Since the first ever update of this story? Yes. Yes it has. Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end.. **

**Thank you goes out to...**

**- ****icegirljenni**: I was afraid that my Sessmom was going to be completely out of character.. so I am pleased that you are satisfied with her excitement to be a grandma, LOL! She would be the best mother-in-law ever! I'm serious - I'd love to have someone like her in my life, :) And yes, Sessmom killed Masato - it was the panther tribe that had been trespassing on Sesshomaru's land. Knowing the ruler of the East, he'd force them to stop with their interference (in the end, the lynx is just a suck-up to Sesshomaru, he he). Thank you so much for reviewing! ^_^

- **samy-sama**: I will have something planned for another story involving Sesshomaru and Rin.. I just don't know when :( I always believed that Rin had a good reason to be paranoid about what her husband would think of her: after all, female heirs were not valued in that time - the male heirs were to be expected. I laughed at this one part of the review: "She just mated with the most strong, cold and beautiful youkai bachelor ! Those servants can always dream, he would have never satiate his desire with them, jealous nah !" Those servants may as well die already: I mean seriously - they never will mate with Sesshomaru! They can go and suck it! LOL. Thank you so much for your reviews :)

- **Deadman19**: I'm sorry, but stories have to end sometime right? Besides - maybe a new adventure will start.. not that I'm saying anything, but.. anyways, thanks for supporting me all the way! ^_^

- **Sango37**: You remind me of one certain reviewer.. but if you want to know what happens, read on! Please! :3

- **Moonlight Mermaid**: Thank you very much! I'm practicing my writing skills so I can become a famous author one day, LOL! And I agree with you - actions speak louder than words ;D

- **pammazola**: You are making me blush! :3 But you are very welcome; I'm sure that I'll come up with another Rin and Sesshomaru story sometime soon. All I know it's going to be an Alternate Universe. Thank you for your support! ^_^

**Epilogue**

The pain was excruciating. The pain was torture. The pain was agonizing.

Tears slowly cascaded down porcelain cheeks, down to the trembling lips. Chocolate eyes blinked several times - adjusting to the dark.. But her senses were not strong. She was never used to being in the dark.. she was still afraid.

Rin whimpered in pain, as she closed her eyes shut as tight as she could. She had to be strong; she had to be strong for herself and for the baby she was about to bring into the world of cruelty.. a world filled with pain and loss..

For the past few months, she had been worried. She had been honestly worried about whether or not her baby would survive.. she was scared that her baby would not live. At that point, she wasn't even scared about what would happen to her. She had only been concerned for the baby - that fact never changed.

After this thought, she started to cry more and more.. she couldn't bear the thought of losing her first child.

The pregnancy had not been easy on her; she had experienced nausea, she had experienced mood swings that nearly cost the love of her husband. Rin remembered one fight they had.. concerning the love that he had for her. To be honest, that was the worst day of her life. She never wanted to hurt his pride.. she couldn't bear the thought of losing him either.

Another wave of torment caused Rin to cry out in agony..

She didn't want to be alone when she gave birth.. but she was. Though the thought of Sesshomaru's mother outside of the room was comforting, she couldn't stand being alone ever again. Rin had nightmares about that.. she had nightmares that she was always meant to be alone. That thought scared her more than scared her more than Masato.

All of a sudden, she had trouble breathing. Her chest was being crushed to death by an invisible force.. a force that was taking away her will to live.

_Lord Sesshomaru.. _Rin cried out, silently, as more tears ran down her pale face.

She glanced toward the moonlight - shining through the thin, silk curtains. It was bright. It was heavenly.. it was beautiful.

**:3 :3 :3**

Sesshomaru did not like it. He did not like hearing her scream out in torment.. he could not bear hearing her fight for her life. He knew the baby would survive...

But from what his mother had told him.. there may be a chance that Rin may not survive. That was enough to make his heartbeat stop altogether. It was enough for him to die..

He wanted to be in there with her, but his foolish mother had to stop him. She had to do this on her own. Considering that Rin was human.. this was a mistake. But Sesshomaru had a feeling that his mother was hiding something from him. He had yet to discover what it was, but he knew it would wait until Rin had given birth to his daughter.

Her pregnancy had not been easy on either of them; in fact, it tested Rin and Sesshomaru's love for each other. The fight between them.. it was a nightmare. Sesshomaru could not believe that he almost left her.

Sesshomaru could still hear the screams of anger and frustration as well as desperation and love.. He could even imagine hearing her heart shattering into thousands of pieces. Even that was enough to kill him..

Another scream of despair was heard.. and Sesshomaru was fairly tempted to go to her.

"Sesshomaru. You must go to her," Sessmom said, her tone filled with seriousness yet also with compassion. She placed an icy hand over her son's shoulder. She looked deep into his crysal eyes with her own honey hues. "She is dying."

Even though his own instincts told him that Rin was dying, hearing his mother saying it out loud shattered his heart. But he would not allow his mother to see his emotion. Yet even that resolve was slowly crumbling..

"You must give this to her," Sessmom said, handing her son a small bottle.

"What is this?"

"It is an elixer. It will give her eternal youth. Now go, my son. My granddaughter is about to be born," She reprimanded; all serious behavior that she radiated had disappeared.

Now there was nothing to do except wait.

**:3 :3 :3**

Waiting seemed like a pretty complicated process. At least, to people who were impatient - and by impatient, I mean very, very, impatient. One of those people was Sessmom. Considering that she knew that child labor took a long while to proceed, she wished that the baby would pop out any moment. One could guess that she was enthusiastic (to put it very lightly) that her first grandchild was about to be born.

Preparing for the baby's arrival into this world was never easy; in Sessmom's perspective, she was the one that was probably stressed out the most. Why?

Preparing the baby's room the correct way. It took three months to get everything right (according to her vision of the baby's room) and perfect. Next was the child's clothing; Sessmom wanted nothing but the best kimonos for her granddaughter. She already envisioned the child looking fabulously beautiful in kimonos of the highest quality, thus, she seriously believed that would happen. The best tailors were called into the castle to begin working on the kimonos (Sessmom ordered them to create at least ten designs - and practically threatened to kill them if they didn't get them finished in time).

She also contacted tutors in the fine arts of education; she absolutely wanted the best education for her granddaughter.

By three months in, she was already exhausted, but she knew that this would all be worth it. Her granddaughter would turn out to be beautiful! And with puppy ears no less!

**:3 :3 :3**

She was close. She could feel it. He could feel it.

She never even acknowledged his presence.. simply because the pain that she was trying to fight had cut her to the core. She was fighting for her baby's life, and her own. Rin tried not to feel weak in any circumstance. She wanted her baby to live. Even if it meant sacrificing her own.. she would do it in a heartbeat.

"Rin."

Was it a dream? Was it a hallucination? Her heartbeat increased, even quicker than what she had anticipated. It was getting harder for her to breathe.. but when she heard his voice.. she felt as though she was regaining her strength.

In any case, Rin was relieved to hear him. She was glad that he was there with her; she had to admit that he was sweet for wanting to be in there with her, not wanting to let her deal with childbirth by herself.

She was getting stronger but at the same time she was getting weaker. She couldn't even fathom the thought of giving into the side where she was dying. She couldn't die. Even though she promised to herself that she would sacrifice herself for her family.. what then? What would her husband think? She knew then that dying would never be an option; she would have a distinct feeling how Sesshomaru would feel if she left this world.. She never wanted to leave him.

"Sesshomaru.." She managed to say, but her voice was raspy and sore. Her throat was aching but it was no surprise, since yelling out for dear life during a mid-life crisis (or a critical period such as this) tended to do that to a person. "You're here.. I'm so glad," the relief in her voice suggested that she was not so much in pain. But that didn't mean that the pain had ended. The baby had yet to come out..."I was afraid that you.. wouldn't come." After that thought slipped out of her mouth, more tears ran down her cheeks. Yet no sob exited out of her lips..

"You will never be alone with this Sesshomaru." Even though his smooth, baritone voice suggested annoyance toward her paranoia, it was his way of saying that he cared. As long as Rin knew that, Sesshomaru would not have to worry about whether or not she loved him..

"Thank you.. for coming," Rin said, her voice filled with gratitude and emotion. She tried smiling weakly, but more torment and agony infiltrated her once more. She groaned, as she continuously wondered if she would live...

"You will not die in childbirth, Rin." She felt a pair of cold lips gently take hold of her hand.. kissing it with as much compassion and gentleness that she never thought that he possessed. Rin then knew what this meant; he may be afraid of losing her.

"I won't die, Sesshomaru. Have faith." She couldn't help but feel as though her words were false; like she was leading him to a false sense of security and in the end, he would be devastated that she had broken her promise. "Please don't be scared of losing me or the baby." Again, it hurt too much just saying those words - it hurt her in a deep, emotional level.

"I am not scared."

"Sesshomaru, it is okay to let your feelings out. You don't have to put on a strong face all the time.. otherwise, I wouldn't know if I was hurting you or if you would love me."

Just thinking about those words made it difficult for him to hear. She was foolish for even thinking that she would hurt him. And she couldn't. She also knew that he had strong feelings for her. Why would she say this to him?

"Just know that I love you.." Rin said, before feeling another wave of torture wash over her.

She was nearly.. she was nearly ready to give birth to the baby. She did not know how long she was in the chamber.. but it was a long time.

"Sesshomaru," Rin whimpered.. "I think the baby is coming."

She felt a strong, firm grip on her weak, petite one.. engulfing it in warmth and protectiveness. "Have faith, Rin." Sesshomaru used those same words that his mate had told him.

**:3 :3 :3**

She nearly lost the will to live.

That was what nearly killed Sesshomaru.

His own pride, that dealt with emotions and sentimentality, nearly cost Rin and the baby their lives.

It was even harder for him to listen to Rin cry out every moment in absolute agony.. there was nothing worse that occurred in Sesshomaru's life.

He had to admit that he was scared... deep down, he was frightened at the thought of losing Rin. He could admit that to himself.. but would he ever say it to Rin?

"Sesshomaru..." Rin called out to him softly, and any thought that revolved around the previous night had evaporated.

He turned around, seeing the woman that changed him.. emotionally.. wearing a simple, lavender kimono that she had received from the demon slayer as a wedding present, holding a small, well-wrapped infant close to her torso. Cries started to erupt from the child - wanting attention from both sets of parents.

His daughter.

"Come and take a look at her.."

He then gently unwrapped the blankets surrounding the small pup.. the first sight he had seen.. were the eyes. They were the same colour as her mother's.. and they were extravagent. The baby's hair was an ivory silver - much like his own, as well as a pair of puppy ears sitting on her head. He also noticed the facial structure. Her fangs were as small as pebbles, her lips were as red as cherries, and her cheekbones were chiseled like his mother's. All in all, she looked much like his mother and of Rin combined.

But once the baby started to look into Sesshomaru's eyes.. she stopped crying. She recognized her father's presence.

"Rin.. This Sesshomaru approves."

Rin couldn't help but giggle, laughing at the tone of her husband's voice. "I know you do. But we still haven't named her."

"Her name will be Tsukiakari." Rin, once again chuckled, witnessing her husband telling their daughter as though it were an order.

"It sounds fitting for a troublesome little baby born under the full moon," Rin stated, moving her body position to huddle under Sesshomaru's chest - needing warmth and comfort.

Sesshomaru kissed Rin's head affectionately, also taking the time to inhale her addicting scent. "This Sesshomaru almost lost you."

Rin couldn't help but smile. "So now you admit it to me?"

"It was.. not simple to carry out such a task."

"This baby is a blessing, Sesshomaru. She is always worth the pain."

"You nearly died."

"If you had not given me that elixer, I could have. But.. I would have given birth to our little Tsukiakari either way. Besides.. even if I have died.." Rin swallowed. "You could have moved on. You would have found another wife to spend your life with."

"Do not speak ficticious words. That would never happen."

Rin smirked, which did not go unnoticed by Sesshomaru. "Good. I couldn't bear having anyone else being with my Sesshomaru." Her eyelids started to droop, and her breathing pattern began to slow down to a steady beat.

"My heart will always belong to you.." Sesshomaru whispered..

**:3 :3 :3**

**I literally couldn't help but cry! ^_^ **

**Rin almost died (after all, giving birth to a half-demon certainly wouldn't be easy).. Sesshomaru saved her, and practically opened up to her. Maybe a little bit. Who knows.**

**Anyways, I hope you enjoyed this story! I know I loved writing it :)**


End file.
